“When you feel yourself becoming angry, resentful or exhausted, pay attention to where you haven’t set a healthy boundary.”

– Crytsal Andrus

When Samantha met me for our first session, she said:

“I hate letting people down. I tend to take on far more than I can handle. I also want to be someone who excels in the tasks at work and home. This is creating problems for my work-life balance as i simply don’t know when and how to stop. I find myself annoyed and exhausted as a result.”

We can burn out pretty quickly if we don’t set clear and firm boundaries at home and at work. Healthy boundaries ensure we remain centered, aligned and authentic as we move through life.

 

Here are five ways to create healthy boundaries:

Get clear about your priorities

In my coaching program and workshops I invite participants to work on an exercise called ‘Your True North’. They look at their life from an aerial perspective and then break this down into short terms goals. Some questions that help them determine their TrueNorth are: what needs to be accomplished and experienced before they die? What legacy do they want to leave behind in their personal and professional lives? This exercise gives them crystal clarity about what’s important and what’s not. From this clarity about priorities, we can move onto the next step…

Say no

When we know exactly what’s important in the larger scheme of things, we can very easily say no to events, people and opportunities that don’t align with our True North and life goals. I highly recommend learning the art of saying no. Let no be a complete sentence. Say it without apologies, explanations or justifications. Sometimes we get caught up with trying to defend or over-explain our feelings and decisions. It’s ok to be gentle yet firm and direct. Repeat yourself if faced with resistance or criticism.

Create strong inner boundaries with morning rituals

According to Ayurveda, mornings from 4am to 10am are like spring season, setting us up for the vitality and creativity needed for the summer (which lasts from 10am to 4pm). Creating morning me-time rituals can help significantly in setting clear intentions and moving our energy forward with clarity and focus. This time allows us to connect with our inner self and our boundaries. These rituals don’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. Writing in your journal, a 10-minute meditation, a short walk, reading some affirmations, a quick dance, a cup of tea or coffee enjoyed leisurely are some examples. Tune in to see what practice you need to center yourself and prepare emotionally, mentally and energetically for the day to come. This will help with prioritizing and setting boundaries.

Tune into feelings and bodily sensations

Shakira wasn’t joking when she sang “hips don’t lie”. In fact our entire body serves as a navigational mechanism that can steer us clear of unhealthy, toxic people and experiences. While out mind might rationalize having our boundaries encroached upon, our body will not entertain any such breaches. I ask my clients to use this faithful, powerful ally when making decisions. Through our bodily sensations we can tell if our boundaries are being encroached upon. When an opportunity, task or conversation comes up, how does your body react? Does it feel tight, contracted, heavy? Or does it feel light and expansive? Another technique is to feel the end result as if it has become a reality right now. How does that feel in the heart, body and mind? If it feels uncomfortable you probably need to protect your boundaries now.

Speak your truth with authenticity and power

Our words are powerful tools to relay our boundaries to others. We might be very good at setting inner boundaries as discussed in #3 but unless they come across with clarity and power at the time of conversation, they’re of no use. Disempowering words and expressions such as “Does that makes sense?” , “kind of” or the use of undermining qualifiers as we communicate our needs and boundaries, results in us being taken less seriously. It’s important to be able to communicate clearly, authentically and powerfully both at home and at work. Start by practicing these power statements at home in front of the mirror. You’ll have more confidence when you’re in conversation.

Building healthy boundaries is not something we’re taught as children at home or in school. It’s an acquired life skill that is as important as budgeting or taking care of our health. As we learn this skill and get better at standing up for ourselves we find more joy and vitality available to us in our daily life.

In the comments below, share in which area of your life do you need to create healthier boundaries for yourself?

Last Chance to Work With Me 1:1 at Current Prices!

I have two spots left in my 1:1 coaching program and I would LOVE to work with you if you feel it’s your time. I’m retiring this program and it will not be offered at this price again. In this 12-week personal coaching program you’ll learn how to:

• Manage your energy to support your well-being
• Organise your time so you have time for what+who you love
• Deal with overwhelm and create healthy boundaries
• Embrace your feminine gifts at work and home
• Say no without guilt or shame
• Leverage your emotional, hormonal and sexual energies
• Utilise my advanced mindset strategies to get out of any funk

You can find out more about my 1:1 coaching program here.

If you like what you see, please set up a 30-minute complimentary session with me. We’ll chat about your specific life and business goals and discuss if we’re a good fit for this program

You can set up your session here

Much love,