Boundaries are an important way to achieve personal wellness and maintain healthy relationships. They’re defined as any limits or parameters that a person sets in a relationship with another person to show how they need or deserve to be treated. In other words, by setting boundaries with people you interact with or care for, you’re showing them how they can remain in a relationship with you in a healthy and fulfilling way. Some examples of healthy boundaries include:
- Saying no: Often, it can be difficult to say no to people you care about, especially if it’s something you’d really like to do for or with that person. However, we all have our limits, and can’t always say yes to everything that is asked of us. Think of this as budgeting your energy.
- Communicating things that have upset or hurt you: It can be extremely difficult to let someone know when they’ve said or done something that didn’t sit right with you. It’s common to be fearful of upsetting them, getting into a fight, or even potentially creating a major relationship rupture. But, if you don’t let people know that their actions or words didn’t reflect the way you want to be treated, then it might leave room for it to keep happening. It may also cause emotions to fester and resentment or other negative feelings to build up.
