Setting Healthy Boundaries in Relationships - HelpGuide.org (2023)

Whether you're dealing with romantic partners, family, friends, or co-workers, maintaining healthy boundaries can help you strengthen relationships, avoid unhealthy connections, and improve your self-esteem and overall well-being.

What are healthy limits?

You may hear the word "boundaries" and imagine walls separating you from other people. In a way, that's true. But borders aren't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, they are an important ingredient in healthy, balanced relationships. They are also a crucial part of maintaining your identity, mental health, and physical well-being.

Limits can include limitations on physical actions, such as For example, asking a roommate or partner not to look at your phone or interrupt you when you are working from home. They can also be of a psychological nature, e.g. B. Asking your spouse to accept that your goals and dreams may not always align with theirs.

Healthy limits are for:

• Promote and reduce autonomyCodependent Habits.
• Set expectations when interacting with others.
• Give you a sense of power and self-respect.
• Take care of your physical and mental well-being.
• Clarify individual responsibilities in a relationship.
• Separate your wants, needs, thoughts, and feelings from those of others.

Without healthy boundaries, your relationships can become toxic and unfulfilling, and your well-being can suffer. You may feel taken advantage of, for example, when a friend keeps asking you for money, or you may feel overwhelmed by stress when you feel the need to resolve all of your partner's emotional issues. Or if one of your parents is constantly invading your privacy, you might be upset. Likewise, if you constantly ignore another person's boundaries, you risk making them uncomfortable and damaging the relationship.

However, boundaries are not only necessary in your personal relationships. They are also necessary in the workplace, where co-workers or supervisors may monopolize your time or ignore your needs. Unhealthy boundaries at work can also haunt you at home and affect your personal quality of life.

A study has shown that when the lines between personal life and work blur, people experience more emotional exhaustion and less happiness. On the other hand, setting boundaries, especially with work tasks, can lead to a greater sense of self-determination.

Learning to set and maintain boundaries can transform many aspects of your life, from work to family relationships to dating. It all starts with understanding the difference between healthy and unhealthy limits.

Types of Healthy Boundaries

Personal boundaries can take many forms. However, not all relationships require you to confront all types of boundaries. For example, you may need to agree physical limitations with a colleague, but not financial ones.

physical limitsHelping you feel comfortable and confident not only around strangers, but around people close to you. For example, you could tell someone that you prefer a handshake to a hug. Or you can tell a friend that you need to rest during a long bike ride. When you own a physical space, you can also set restrictions around it. Maybe you don't want someone invading your bedroom or filling your office with your belongings.

sexual boundariesIt can include anything from asking for consent before being physically intimate to checking on your partner's well-being during sex. Even if you've been with your partner for years, make it a habitnotification of your preferences. You may want to reevaluate the limitations and expectations around things like frequency of sexual intercourse and use of birth control.

emotional boundariesMake sure others respect your emotional well-being and inner well-being. When you set an emotional boundary, you can say something like, "I don't want to talk about this while I'm at work because I need to focus." You can also use these barriers to avoid becoming overwhelmed by other people's feelings will. For example, you may acknowledge that you are not responsible for how another person reacts to your decision to turn them down on a second date.

Material/financial limitsextend to your belongings such as money, clothes, car or house. If you're a charitable person, you may find it difficult to say "no" to people who want to borrow. However, people can intentionally or unintentionally take advantage of your goodwill, and your own resentment can then grow. If you set a material limit, you can say something like, "You can borrow my phone charger, but please return it when you're done" or "No, I can't borrow money to buy new shoes."

[Read: Coping With Financial Stress]

time limitsIt allows you to focus on your priorities at work and in your personal life without being overwhelmed by other people's needs and desires. Imagine you had a stressful work week and want to relax at the weekend. You can decline an invitation to a party or set a time limit on your attendance. Other time-related restrictions could include asking a friend not to call you during work hours, or asking your partner to postpone an important conversation to a more convenient time.

shifting boundaries

Boundaries are not set in stone. You must adjust them as circumstances change and relationships grow. This can be especially true in long-term relationships.CommunicationIt's important when you reassess and review your boundaries. You want the other person to be aware of the change and why.

unhealthy boundaries

Unhealthy edges are generally too stiff or too porous. The healthy fall somewhere between these two extremes.

• hard limitsKeep other people at a distance, including your loved ones. Maybe you refuse to talk about your feelings with your partner, or you rarely take the time to meet up with friends.
• Porous or weak edgesDevelops when you have trouble saying "no" to others. For example, you might be very willing to take on all the responsibilities in a relationship. Or maybe you tend to say too much when talking to strangers.

There are many reasons people constantly struggle with unhealthy boundaries, such as:

desire for control.Some people use boundaries to manipulate others. For example, a person can use hard boundaries to block conversations and refuse to interact with you until you do what they want.

fear of rejection.If you fear that a romantic partner will disappear from your life because of your mistakes, you may be reluctant to open up to them emotionally.

Lack of experience in setting restrictions.If you grew up around people who set bad personal boundaries, it can be difficult to manage the right ones. You may think it's normal to invade other people's privacy because your parents and siblings have done it regularly.

Extremely nice personality.If you are overly concerned with pleasing others, you may allow them to do things that make you uncomfortable. Perhaps you regularly participate in activities or volunteer to help people simply because you want to be loved and accepted.

Low self-esteem.You may feel that your needs and desires are not worth expressing or that you have no identity of your own. Instead, prioritize what other people want. As a result, people do not acknowledge their discomfort.

Boundaries and facilitating behavior

When someone you love triesSeeks, you may need to change your boundaries to not allow their behavior. Activating is when you protect someone from the consequences of their actions. For example, you might offer to pay your legal fees for a DUI or lie to others to cover up evidence of a DUI.playÖdrug addiction. These types of measures may seem helpful at the moment, but in reality you are preventing your loved one from learning from their mistakes.

[Read: Helping Someone With A Drug Addiction]

The enablement is not limited to addiction situations. This can happen with other mental health problems. For example, if your loved one hassocial anxiety disorder,You can try to protect them from awkward interactions by speaking up for them in public. The result is that they continue to trust you instead of taking matters into their own hands.

How to set and keep boundaries

While it's usually best to start setting boundaries early in a relationship, setting healthy rules and boundaries can help strengthen a relationship at any stage.

In many cases, you may not even realize that some restriction is necessary until you get to know each other better. For example, it may take a while to realize that a co-worker is regularly distracting you at work, or that a romantic interest seems too controlling.

The following tips can help you set boundaries when you're struggling to communicate or connect with someone in your life.

Boundary Tip #1: Know what you want in a relationship

Whether the relationship is romantic or platonic, it's hard to get your needs met if you don't know what they are. Thinking about your values ​​and beliefs is a good place to start.

Ask yourself questions like:

• What qualities do I like to see in other relationships?
• What behaviors annoy me?
• What qualities do I admire in others?
• Which physical elements are most important to me and why?
• What is my favorite way to spend my time?
• What makes me feel fulfilled?

As you understand yourself better, you can begin to visualize the kind of boundaries you need. If you know you value independence, you probably want to establish financial rules between you and your partner. If you value high productivity or privacy, you can set physical boundaries with co-workers who tend to invade your workspace.

evaluate how you feel about someone

Thinking about how others make you feel can also help you identify necessary boundaries. After interacting with other people, reflect on your feelings by asking yourself questions.

• Did the other person make jokes or comments that made you feel disrespected?
• You did something that made you feel physically uncomfortable or unsafe, such as raising your voiceZorn?
• Did you feel pressured to do things that weren't in line with your values?
• Were you overwhelmed by the person's wants or expectations?
  from?
• Did you feel that your sense of control was violated or
  infantilize you?

A moment of reflection can help you decide if you need to set boundaries with the person going forward.

Tip 2: Talk to the person about your needs

expertisecommunicate effectivelyYour needs of others are important. Rushing conversations, rude words, and vague requests can make it difficult for your loved ones to understand and stick to your ground rules.

Consider the weather.The best time to establish a boundary with your partner is when you're both feeling relaxed and can focus on the conversation. If you're in the middle of an argument, try to calm down and continue the conversation when you're both calm.

Be prepared.Are you nervous about discussing your needs? Before the interview, write down your points so you can state your needs clearly.

Look at the delivery.Try using "I" statements to express how you're feeling. Avoid “you” statements, which can come across as accusatory. For example, say, "I was overwhelmed by the amount of work I had to do while you were away." Expressing your feelings is a great way to set the stage for setting boundaries in the relationship.

Be clear.A vague request like "I want more privacy" can get the message across, but it's best to be as clear as possible so as not to confuse the other person. Try: “I feel disrespected and uncomfortable when you walk into my room unannounced. Knock before entering. A calm but firm tone lets the other person know you're serious but not disrespectful.

[Read: Effective Communication]

Feedback-Adresse.Depending on the threshold, your partner may have questions for you. Know that you don't have to justify or explain your needs, but you can help the other person understand where you're coming from. You can even ask follow-up questions to ensure the right message was delivered.

Comments on romantic relationships.

noromantic relationships, it's especially important to ask your partner how they feel about a request rather than guessing. Ask if this seems unfair or unusual to them. Or ask if it clashes with something they need or want.

Each of you has your own thoughts and feelings, and each person is responsible for putting those feelings into words so they can be understood.

Let others take responsibility for your emotions.We often tend by nature to worry about how other people are feeling and reacting to our words and actions. However, you should not feel responsible for how the other person reacts to the limit. For example, they may get upset if you ask for more "me time." This can make you feel guilty or selfish. Keep in mind why you're setting the restriction in the first place: you want some alone time to pursue your separate hobbies and avoid becoming emotionally overwhelmed. Don't feel like you have to ignore your own needs.

Tip 3: set limits

Not everyone in your life will always respect your boundaries. A teammate may accidentally cross in or outdifficult relativesYou can do it on purpose.

Affirm your needs.The other person may not have understood or simply forgotten your original request. Remain calm, firm and clear on what you need.

Having clear and reasonable consequences for crossing a boundary.For example, if someone has a habit of talking over you, you could say, "I don't feel respected when you talk about me. If you do that again, I'll have to end the call.

Just specify the consequences you want to apply.If you're not willing to follow through with a consequence, the other person will feel empowered to push your boundaries in the future. For example, if you're telling your partner that you're taking a break from the relationship if they keep lying to you, it's important to put it behind you.

How to react when someone sets a limit

You're not the only one who can set boundaries. When someone expresses a limitation, you may feel embarrassed or frustrated. You may feel like you're being scolded or "put in your place."

You may notice that some negative emotions surface when you immediately try to defend your actions. Remember that you are not losing anything, but rather gaining knowledge about what makes the person in your life feel safe and happy.

Take time to breathe and listen.When you're feeling agitated, slow, deep breathing can calm your nervous system's "fight-or-flight" response. This makes it easier for you to absorb information instead of preparing for a conversation.

[ Read: Fast Stress Relief ]

Accept that the person setting the boundary knows what is best for them.If something really isn't working for you, share your needs so you can both come to an agreement.

Remember that both have their own ways of processing and feeling emotions.Don't try to assume what your partner needs before you've said it out loud. Give them space to express their needs and desires.

Apologize if necessary.You are human and we all make mistakes. Maybe you accidentally crossed the line by making an offensive joke or sharing too much when asked. If someone repeats the boundary, be humble enough to apologize for their mistake. Ask for clarity if you feel you need it.

As you learn to accept and recognize other people's limitations, you can begin to think about ways to improve your own connections with others. Ultimately, effective boundaries can make you both feel empowered and lead to healthier lives.most satisfying relationship.

Autor: Sheldon Reid.

• references

  7 Tips for Creating Healthy Boundaries With Others | psychology today. (North Dakota.). Retrieved on June 5, 2022 fromhttps://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-flux/201511/7-tips-create-healthy-boundaries-others

  Boundaries: what are they and how are they created? Wellness Center | University of Illinois, Chicago. (North Dakota.). Retrieved on June 5, 2022 fromhttps://wellnesscenter.uic.edu/news-stories/boundaries-what-are-they-and-how-to-create-them/

  Hornung, S. (2019). Task design and cognitive work boundaries to improve self-determination, impact, meaning and competence at work.behavioral science, 9(12), 136.https://doi.org/10.3390/bs9120136

  Pluut, H. & Wonders, J. (2020). Not being able to lead a healthy life when it's needed most: The dual role of lifestyle behaviors in blurring the link between work life and well-being.frontiers of psychology, 11, 607294.https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.607294

  When limits are crossed - MSU extension. (North Dakota.). Retrieved on June 5, 2022 fromhttps://www.canr.msu.edu/news/when_boundaries_are_crossed

Last updated: December 6, 2022