Do you have Personal Boundaries in place to protect your happiness?
(allow me to rant a little)First off, let's make sure we understand what personal boundaries are. Social media has twisted them into rules that we create and demand, dictating that other people follow, memorize, and comply with. That's being a controlling dictator. Not helpful for you or your relationships.
Your personal boundaries are guidelines, routines, procedures, and processes that guard and protect your mental, emotional, and or physical health first and foremost. That's it. That simple. I like to call them rules; however, the connotation or meaning of "rules" is different for everyone. For me, I like rules, or if it helps, it's like the bumpers they put in the bowling alley for the kids to learn how to bowl. No one needs to know what your personal boundaries are. In fact, I like to keep them to myself, sort of like a game. The reason is if I share verbally what all my personal boundaries are, other people's opinions, values, morals, and judgments will become vocal and seep into my mind, potentially swaying me into doing things differently that may or may not benefit my mental, emotional, and physical health.
For instance if working out daily is a personal boundary, it's a rock, a boulder in my schedule if I tell someone "oh I can't do that thing you want me to do with you, that's the time I work out" they could talk me out of working out and why I shouldn't work out and their reasons, justifications or TikTok reasoning and then I am in a situation of choosing to work out and honor my values and continuing what serves me by showing up every day for myself and hurting someone's feelings by doing something in their opinion is ridiculous. My boundaries are for me, not anyone else. Getting other people involved in what's best for me only muddies the waters.
Your personal boundaries are for you. I prefer to include the word "personal" to remind me that these routines are for me, and the betterment of my mental, emotional and or physical health. When we prioritize our own needs first and foremost, and allow life to fall in the gaps in between we show up as fully energized, capable, compassionate, giving, caring beings. We have the capacity to handle much more, we are stronger mentally, emotionally and physically to navigate what life has in store for us.
What's one of your Personal Boundaries you will not budge on?
Mine is working out, it's one of my therapies, it allows me to focus on my body, "go inside" if you will and feel alive, strong and rid my body of any stored cortisol. It enables me to sleep deeply and feel capable of doing things that some my age may say no to due to weakness or injuries.