Healthy boundaries are not about closing you off from people or the world. It is about selectively letting people have access to you, your life, and your time. Our family system values spending time with each other, and I will often put up boundaries to others to protect that value. This is part of knowing what your priorities are!
When it comes to healthy boundaries, remember these important things below:
1) Just because you turn down a social invitation to a birthday party, night out, trip, get together…does not mean you are a recluse, anti-social family or person!
It’s finding a nice RHYTHM to your family and how you interact with others. Balance can often be an unattainable word because rarely does it come to fruition before things are out of balance again. When you find a rhythm to interacting with others, you are much more comfortable in saying no or yes.
2) No one in your household will know your boundaries if you never share them! Now, there are probably better ways of explaining some of these boundaries so it doesn’t seem like you just don’t like people. However, if you speak honestly, act genuinely, and from the heart, the right words will come.
You get to decide what your boundaries are, how high is your fence, how many gates are in that fence, and ultimately, what is best for your family and their collective mental health.
That’s what this series on ‘Protecting The Family’ has been about. Strengthening the family unit by talking about the things that matter and ways we can all get better.
Communication about boundaries helps everyone to be on the same page and to eliminate or at least hold down speculation that can occur with people in our lives. As a family, we have respectfully communicated what are our boundaries, we are consistent, and we stay in our lanes.
https://communicatetomotivate.libsyn.com/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/communicate-to-motivate/id1510785007?ls=1
Search ‘Communicate to Motivate’ on all podcast platforms.
