Setting Healthy boundaries for your Mental Well-being

The act of setting healthy boundaries defines your mental well-being by contributing to building stable and positive relationships.

 It is the sole reason that keeps you emotionally stable by letting you be in charge of your emotional and mental well-being rather than being dictated by the situations or the people that influence you.

What is a Boundary

Unlike drawing a physical line with chalk around you or a ‘Lakshmana Rekha’ drawn by your protector meant to protect you, this is simply an invisible line that you by yourself define for you as acceptable and unacceptable behavior. This is shaped by your experiences and culture and it is always evolving as you learn and gain insights from your surroundings and the people you meet in life.

Devising Healthy Boundaries

Boundaries can be formed in many ways such as emotional, mental, physical, financial, moral, sexual and even spiritual. The act of assuming that maintaining healthy boundaries means being ‘selfish’ showcases a wrong interpretation of what it means to have a healthy psyche and it could also mean you grew up in a challenging or traumatic childhood with excessive punishments for wrongdoing which contributed to a lack of ‘self while tolerating the unhealthy behaviors of others towards you.

As an adult, you have the right to your life and you could start by taking responsibility for how others treat you by being able to set healthy limits. It will take time and patience to build it but it is worth the wait. 

Steps to Healthy Boundaries

1. Set your personal Limits:  To be able to set these limits, you have to be sure of your ideals and be confident about where and how you formed these values.
2. Get used to saying ‘NO’: To be confident in using this word, you need to practice it and be able to boldly claim it, when it goes against your values.
3. Be Bold and Clear: When you voice out your opinions on your decisions, be crystal clear in your communication and speak straightforwardly. 
4. Let go of Fear and be assured in yourself: The fear of miscommunicating or hurting someone with your words needs to step aside for guilt keeps you stuck in a never ending loop of sacrificing yourself to others demands.
5. Wait on big Decisions: If you are making a life-changing decision, wait and think well overnight before deciding, especially if you are stressed out.
6. Go one step at a time: If this act of boundary setting is difficult, take it slow and go over your morals and think well before proceeding with any big decisions.
7. Be a good Communicator: When you explain your views to others, make sure you are confident and clear with your statements rather than let others decide for you, make those choices yourself.

Overall, believe in yourself, and be clear with your ideals. If you are still struggling with identifying what works best when it comes to setting personal boundaries or you are unsure of your ideals, take a professional’s help or consult us online.