Setting boundaries is an important form of self care. When you implement boundaries, you work to understand and honor your needs, both physical and emotional. You allow yourself to feel validated. You protect your emotional and physical states from the unwanted stress that can come from being unclear about your comfort levels.
When we do not set clear boundaries, we may feel obligated to say yes to things that are detrimental to our current emotional or physical state. Often, we do not feel comfortable saying no to our friends, family, or coworkers, even though we may want to. It is important to internalize your needs at any given moment, and set boundaries for yourself to avoid uncomfortable situations.
Another consequence of not creating clear boundaries is that we may see our goals for the day go unfulfilled, because we have not set the appropriate boundaries. We don’t have a way to ensure important things don’t get shuffled to the bottom of our priorities. Boundary setting can be as simple as creating a schedule for all of the important things each day, and ensuring you don’t fall behind on the schedule. It could also be making positive affirmations about our goals in the mirror each morning. However we choose to set our boundaries, though, we must first understand our needs.
Like self care, boundaries are different for everyone
There is no one way to determine what your boundaries are. Everyone has different needs and perspectives on their own lives, so what works for one person may not work for you. One way of setting new boundaries is to start each day by analyzing your emotional and physical state. Ask yourself what you want to accomplish today. It is helpful to start with a positive statement, one that clearly states both your intent heading into a situation, and your desired outcome.
For example, you may say, “I will make time for three different self-care practices today.” Then follow up by making a plan for this desired result: “I will go to my yoga class at 11:00am, make a healthy dinner at 6:00pm, and then take a relaxing bath before bed.” This method of scheduling your day with boundaries is a form of self care because it ensures you don’t lose track of your goals.
Another way of setting personal boundaries is to carve out alone time in your schedule, and use it to relax and refresh yourself without fear of interruption. Taking an hour each evening to relax, regardless of any demands from work or pressures from your relationships, can be a crucial way of ensuring your needs are met.
Relationship boundaries
Other types of boundaries include boundaries between yourself and other people. Particularly in relationships, it can be difficult to set healthy boundaries without feeling like you are infringing on your partner’s needs or desires. Sometimes it is easier to just give in and agree to something you don’t feel comfortable with because it makes your partner happier. In these cases, don’t give in to the pressure of the “easier” way. Communicate your needs with your partner while listening and acknowledging their responses. Be open to compromise. But understand that, ultimately, you can only be so flexible while still honouring your own comfort levels.
We tend to think of boundaries as methods of communicating your needs and intentions to others. However, boundaries are just as much about managing your expectations for yourself as they are for others. Understanding that your boundaries are there to help keep you on track, rather than keeping others in check, is key to maintaining a healthy relationship with them.
Boundaries should be flexible
A common issue with deciding on boundaries is that it can feel like you are making a permanent decision. It’s difficult to make a decision about something if you feel you can’t change your mind later. As a result, many people refrain from making their boundaries known, fearing the inability to change them later.
Remember that these are not meant to be rigid. They are supposed to be guideposts for the present. Boundaries can be both physical and emotional, and the healthiest boundaries are those that allow you to have control over what affects you, but does not result in defensive behaviour or overly-emotional responses when things don’t go exactly as planned. It is okay to listen to your fluctuating needs and adjust your mindset appropriately; just as your well-being changes with time, so can your boundaries.
Use CBD to maintain your boundaries during more stressful times
One of the biggest reasons why boundaries get stepped over and blurred is because of our changing schedules. Your boundaries may include setting aside personal time each day, but some days your schedule changes. You may find that you no longer have a whole hour by yourself. In this case, you have to reanalyze how you will achieve your goal in light of the new situation.
For cases when time is the major factor, try taking a biocbd+ Total Body Care capsule and meditating for a few minutes. Total Body Care is an all-encompassing capsule that encourages well-being and full body support while being incredibly easy to fit into a busy schedule. It can be a great way of ensuring your needs are met and your boundaries are respected, while still allowing you to be flexible and adapt to the changing circumstances around you.
Maintaining your boundaries is refusing to give up your alone time. Even if that time is just five minutes, adjust what you do to ensure that time is used efficiently.
Maintaining healthy boundaries and self care takes practice
Setting boundaries is about recognizing your needs and then making sure they are met. It can be difficult to understand what these needs are. However, with practice, you will become more in tune with your body and your mind. Eventually, it will be easier to discern where your boundaries lie each day.
Practicing healthy self care requires both commitment and practice. Setting strong, healthy boundaries is a great way to practice listening to your body’s needs and responding to them with focus and care. Good boundaries help you manage stress, foster healthy relationships, and nurture your physical well-being. Unhelpful boundaries are rigid and leave no room for changing circumstances. These can be detrimental to relationships by pushing well-meaning people away.
Practicing self care with boundaries allows you to focus, take away the stress of decision-making, and ensure you stay on track to meet your personal goals each day.
