Setting Boundaries for Balance
Self-care is paramount for wellness, but it is impossible without healthy boundaries. This is why it is essential that you understand what boundaries are and proactively establish boundaries in all areas of your life. This will help you regain time and energy where it matters most, help you enjoy a better experience of life and assist you in reaching your goals.
So what is a boundary?
A boundary is a container around your time, mental and emotional energy, relationships, physical body and energetic resources. It’s the 'no' that protects what you value and opens the door to those ‘yes’ experiences you live for because you’re not distracted and exhausted by people and things that drain your life force.
Boundaries. Think of a boundary as a magical, sanity-saving forcefield that honours and maintains your personal space, individuality, capacity to love and be loved, and basically, all the things you value in yourself and your life. The boundaries that you put in place reflect your core values and the respect you have for yourself.
"Boundaries define what is me and what is not me. A boundary shows me where I end and someone else begins, leading me to a sense of ownership. Knowing what I am to own and take responsibility for gives me freedom." ~ Henry Cloud
BOUNDARIES, GOALS AND BURNOUT
Whilst there are key times in life when we need to push ourselves to achieve big things, the push should be the exception, not the rule. In the pursuit of your goals, are you valuing yourself, your health and wellness? Do you have enough boundaries in place to avoid burnout? To create balance? To nourish yourself and meet your needs whilst on this journey Perhaps even enjoy the journey?
Amongst the pressures of work commitments and family obligations, we can still create boundaries within our restrictions that can optimise our productivity and our wellness. Because we don’t do our best work when we’re depleted and we can’t contribute robustly when we’re burnt out. We simply can’t pour from an empty cup. Attempting to do so only leads to dis-ease and a lack of progress.
There is a long list of worthwhile reasons for consciously upgrading your boundaries, and these become absolutely necessary for productivity and to achieve a state of Flow. Flow is an optimal state of consciousness where we feel and perform our best. More specifically, the term refers to those moments of total absorption, when you’re so focused on what you’re doing so that everything else just disappears, and all aspects of performance are significantly amplified.
The Benefits of Setting Boundaries
There is a long list of worthwhile reasons for consciously upgrading your boundaries, and these become absolutely necessary for productivity and to achieve a state of FLOW. Flow is an optimal state of consciousness where we feel and perform our best.
More specifically, the term refers to those moments of total absorption, when you’re so focused on what you’re doing that everything else just disappears, and all aspects of performance are significantly amplified. First, we will look at some of the benefits of boundaries, then dive deeper into the concept of flow.
Boundaries are powerful! Here are some of the many benefits you will enjoy from having boundaries in place in your life.
Healthy Mental State
Which supports you to do your best work and feel good whilst doing it.
Emotional Regulation
Which helps you to connect with your emotions and allow them to guide you rather than being reactive to them.
Developed Autonomy
Which helps you to confidently rely on yourself and trust that you can be productive and achieve your goals.
Strong Sense Of Self
Helps you to understand your needs and express them confidently and clearly, helping you to stay true to yourself.
Avoidance Of Burn Out
Helps you fully nurture yourself and meet your needs holistically whilst working consistently and in flow.
Enhanced Productivity
Boundaries help you to create optimal time and space for quality thought and work whilst maximising output.
Positive Influence
Boundaries help you positively influence others, allowing you to lead by example. This will inspire others in the way that you work, your balanced approach and the positive outcomes you experience.
"Daring to set boundaries is about having the courage to love ourselves, even when we risk disappointing others” ~ Brene Brown
Types of Boundaries
Mental - Freedom to have your own thoughts values and opinions,
Emotional - How emotionally available you are to others,
Material - Monetary decisions. Giving or lending to others,
Internal - Self-regulation and energy expended on self vs. others,
Conversational - Topics you do and do not feel comfortable discussing,
Physical - Privacy, personal space and your body,
Time -Time spent with someone or doing something,
Without boundaries and the ability to say no to people in your life, self-care and wellness can not be achieved.
If you need help with setting boundaries, you can book a Kinesiology and Coaching session with Katherine Anderson.