Posted by Vargas Consulting and Wellness on September 20, 2023.

Boundaries are an important part of everyone’s life. I like to think of a boundary as an invisible line that you put in place that you will not allow others to cross. It defines what type of behaviors you are willing to accept. Healthy boundaries promote your well-being and happiness. Boundaries are important for individuals and for the relationships between two people. Without you having clear boundaries, others can be confused about what your needs, causing them to withdraw instead of communicating. A person with healthy boundaries knows what they want and need and can communicate them. The problem I have observed is that some people do not have healthy boundaries and feel awful after agreeing or doing something that does line up with their values. So, taking time to understand your boundaries are essential.

Here are ways you can work on establishing healthy personal boundaries:

*Decide what is important to you, what you will and will not accept from others. *When someone asks you to do something you don’t feel comfortable with, give yourself time to think about it. There is no rush to make a decision.

*Practice saying “no”. There is no need to over explain or give reasons why your answer is “no”. The word “no” can be used as a complete sentence and by saying this and meaning this you teach others to respect your boundaries.

*Say “yes” to other things that align with your values and goals such as spending time with positive people in your support network. If what you are agreeing to do will bring you joy, say yes.

*Communicate your boundaries to people in your life. As you expect people to respect your boundaries, remember that respecting their boundaries is also important.

If you need help establishing healthy boundaries, feel free to reach out at [email protected].