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Setting Boundaries: The Benefits and Why They're Important?
Hello Dope Souls and REAL Ones,
Welcome to Mental Health Monday! This week is about “Setting Boundaries”. We all want to live a life of individual freedom while maintaining relationships with the people around us. But how do we achieve this balance? Setting personal boundaries are an essential part of any healthy relationship, and understanding them is key to living a successful, fulfilled life. It's important to acknowledge your feelings and take action to protect your boundary lines. Personal boundaries can be defined as limits or rules that dictate how one interacts with others in various situations. They help protect your Mental Health by defining where you end and someone else begins. By establishing clear lines between yourself and other people, whether it's family members or coworkers, you can create healthier relationships and enjoy more fulfilling interactions. These boundaries help us protect our feelings, values, and beliefs from being violated by others. They provide a way for us to express what behavior is acceptable or not in any given situation. Please know it’s important to express yourself, you have a voice, don't be afraid to use it. Your personal boundaries should reflect your values, beliefs, and needs – they're unique to each person. So if you find yourself feeling uneasy or uncomfortable in certain situations, take some time to consider whether those feelings stem from another person crossing your boundaries without permission. Knowing when something isn't right for you is a valuable skill that will serve you well throughout life.
If you're more of a visual person, then watch the video above to get an understanding of why Setting Boundaries are important.
Questions To Ask Yourself:
What do my boundaries look like?
How can I communicate my boundaries to others?
How do I respond when someone crosses my boundaries?
Do I have a hard time saying no? If so, why?
Am I a people pleaser?
Do I overextend myself?
Who do I have healthy boundaries with?
Who do I need to set better boundaries with?
Why Is It Important To Set Boundaries?
Personal boundaries give us power over our own lives; they allow us to decide who can enter our inner circle and allow us to define the terms of those interactions. We have the right to choose whether or not to engage in certain activities, conversations, or situations based on our comfort level and preferences. By setting strong personal boundaries, we increase self-awareness; this is important for your Mental Health. It's important to recognize when we need to set personal boundaries. It can be difficult to put ourselves first in situations where we are constantly giving to others. We often forget that taking time for ourselves is just as important, if not more, than making sure everyone else’s needs are met. Setting boundaries doesn't mean saying no to everything and being selfish; it requires us to define what matters most to us and prioritize those things accordingly. This means acknowledging our limits without feeling guilty about them; if something isn't within our capability or comfort zone, that's OK! People don’t like being told “no,” and if you are a people pleaser, this can feel especially difficult. It’s OK to disappoint people sometimes. If you’re a people pleaser, know that you are not responsible for other people’s feelings.
The Benefits of Setting Boundaries
Personal boundaries help us express our needs, desires, thoughts, emotions, and values more confidently. When we feel like we have control over who can come close to us and how they treat us, it encourages self-respect as well as respect from others. Additionally, having clear expectations for yourself allows you to take responsibility for your own feelings, decisions, and behaviors rather than depending on someone else's opinion of you.
Setting personal boundaries provides many benefits such as:
Improved communication skills
Healthier relationships with ourselves and others
Increased emotional stability and psychological wellbeing
And, it allows us to become comfortable enough to express our true selves
Tips For Setting and Maintaining Boundaries
In order to set effective boundaries, there are many tips you can follow:
Always communicate your needs clearly and firmly but respectfully.
Don't give in if someone tries to pressure you into doing something you don't want to do – stand firm!
Learn how to say ‘no’ without feeling guilty or burdened by guilt after saying it - practice makes perfect!
Trust your instincts; if something doesn't feel right then chances are it isn't - honouring yourself should come before pleasing anyone else!
Overall, these tips will allow you to create healthy interpersonal relationships while keeping your sense of self intact and respected.
The most important tip of all is simplying “Believe in Yourself”! It’s time to make better informed choices that align with our own individual needs instead of trying to please everyone else around us at the cost of sacrificing our Mental Health. Remember, you matter, the boundaries you set matter, and it’s time to stand on that. Give yourself permission to have boundaries and set them.
Worksheets
Click the button below to go to your weekly worksheets. You can print them off or you can write your responses in a journal, notebook, or on loose-leaf paper.
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