When you’re mentally healthy, you understand your abilities and weaknesses and can make the best out of them, deal well with daily stress, contribute positively to your community, and are very productive at work.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there’s no health without mental health. If you’re mentally unwell, you’ll lose your ability to maintain good relationships and enjoy life. You may also develop physical symptoms like migraine, eye problems, sleep disorders, digestive issues, etc. Living with a mental health crisis can even trigger depression that can lead to suicidal thoughts.
The good news is that many mental illnesses are preventable with the right approach. Even better, most preventive measures are easy and wouldn’t cost you any money. For example, a simple habit of setting proper boundaries can work wonders on your mental health. We’ll discuss how this is possible in this article.
What Does It Mean To Set Boundaries?
If you’re someone who wants to be available to everyone all the time, you may think that boundaries are mean. On the other extreme, you may feel that you’re setting boundaries when in reality, you’re putting brick walls in place. The word “boundaries” can be misleading and sound quite harsh even though it is not so.
Setting boundaries means understanding what it means to have and enjoy healthy relationships. It also means that you know how to draw the line between positive interactions and those that drain you. Boundaries communicate the limits that we have and give us control over our bodies, physical spaces, and feelings. They establish our unique identities and distinguish our individualities.
Healthy boundaries reflect your values, principles, guidelines, and rules. There are different types of boundaries you can set to improve your general well-being. They are:
● Emotional Boundaries
Emotional boundaries refer to how you protect yourself from the effects of other people’s emotions. It means differentiating your emotions from how others feel. Setting emotional boundaries will help you feel connected to people without internalizing, absorbing, or personalizing their feelings. Emotional boundaries also dictate that we protect others from the way we express our emotions.
Healthy emotional boundaries mean that you don’t take responsibility for other people’s feelings or sacrifice your needs for another’s. It also means that you take responsibility for your actions instead of blaming others.
● Digital Boundaries
Technology has become an integral part of our daily lives. Unfortunately, it can also be a concern for our mental health. For example, studies have linked too much social media use to depression, anxiety, loneliness, etc. According to Studies, social media use may be a risk factor for mental health problems in adolescents.
With the digital age also comes the problem of unlimited access to people every day, any time, anywhere. This non-stop connectivity is a challenge for the times when you need uninterrupted access to yourself.
You can solve this problem by setting digital boundaries that let you take scheduled breaks from social media. By detoxing digitally, you can consciously select the content you consume and the caliber of people you follow. Digital boundaries can help you fight unhealthy comparisons with others and focus on other vital areas of your life.
● Work Boundaries
Another area to set healthy boundaries is in your work relationships. Without work boundaries, you’ll take on too many tasks, and your work schedule can become unbearable, leading to burnout. Lack of work boundaries can adversely affect your mental health. According to a study, workers who logged 11 hours daily were more likely to be depressed than those who worked seven/eight hours.
Setting work boundaries includes communicating to your bosses and colleagues how much demands on your time/effort you can manage. That’s how you avoid stress and keep your motivation high. Poor work boundaries will expose you to interpersonal conflicts, harassment, and bullying in your office.
One way to set healthy boundaries at work is by refusing to take on tasks after work hours. Taking time to think through requests before responding can help you put yourself first and make the right decision. Also, it’s important to delegate tasks instead of trying to do it all by yourself.
● Physical Boundaries
Physical boundaries refer to managing your personal space, privacy and body. To set physical boundaries, you must draw the line between who touches you, where, and when. It also regulates which of your physical belongings people can use and how they can use them. Again, physical boundaries dictate who can come into your home and when.
Studies have shown that personal space violations can make us feel uncomfortable and intruded on. This discomfort can affect our mental health and cause us anxiety.
A common example of setting physical boundaries is refusing to hug strangers if it makes you uneasy. In situations, you can insist on shaking hands instead. Another example is ensuring that no one enters your room without seeking permission first.
● Intellectual Boundaries
Intellectual boundaries revolve around how you handle your thoughts and ideas and others. When we have healthy intellectual boundaries, we have strong belief systems that aren’t easily infiltrated by others. It also helps us respect other people’s ideas and thoughts even when they conflict with ours. Healthy intellectual boundaries enhance our ability to “read the room” and decide what’s best to discuss on different occasions.
We can set boundaries in many other areas of our lives. For example, there are sexual and time boundaries. What matters is that you know what your boundaries are and guard them.
How Can Setting Boundaries Boost Your Mental Wellbeing?
Setting boundaries teaches others how to treat us and mandates that they don’t make unreasonable demands on us. This boosts your mental health in the following ways:
● Boundaries Improve Your Self-Esteem
Boundaries can make you feel good about yourself. By boosting your self-esteem, it also improves your mental wellbeing. Low self-esteem has been linked to anxiety and depression.
● They Reduce Your Stress Levels
Setting healthy boundaries keeps you in charge of your life and maintains your energy levels. Without boundaries, you can burnout easily and succumb to mental pressure. If you’re already dealing with burnout at work, these coping strategies can help.
● Setting Boundaries Helps You Improve Your Relationships
When you set boundaries, you’re teaching people how to treat and respect you. This is a recipe for building strong connections that last. On the other hand, it helps you to cut off from people who don’t respect you enough.
Valuable Tips To Help You Establish Personal Boundaries and Improve Your Mental Health
Boundaries aren’t as obvious as fences or giant “no trespassing” signs. Instead, they’re like invisible bubbles. That means that it’s easy for anyone to violate your boundaries if you don’t make it clear to them.
Here are some ways to establish boundaries that others can respect:
● Learn To Say No Without Explanation
You can take back control of so many areas of your life when you learn to say no. Saying yes to requests that make you uncomfortable shows a lack of self-respect. It places other people’s needs above yours and leaves you unhappy.
● Set and Address Boundary Violations Early
It’s much easier to set and communicate your boundaries early on than to correct an already violated boundary. On the other hand, it’s easier to address a violated boundary immediately than to wait for it to reoccur.
● Communicate Your Boundaries Calmly and Politely
Boundaries should help to strengthen respect in relationships instead of breaking them. As such, it’s essential to communicate your boundaries assertively but without offending the recipient. For example, say, “I feel disrespected when you show up at my home unannounced. I’d appreciate some heads up to prepare adequately whenever you’re coming” instead of “stop showing up at my home; I don’t like visitors.”
● Be Consistent
When it comes to setting boundaries, it’s vital to be straightforward and not confuse people. Think carefully before establishing them and stick to them. Be flexible with your boundaries only when it’s absolutely necessary.
● Respect Other People’s Boundaries
By respecting other people’s boundaries, you’re teaching them to regard yours too. Watch out for cues attentively. For example, if they give one-word responses to your conversations, it can mean that they don’t want to discuss. If you aren’t sure what their boundaries are, ask them.
Conclusion
As humans, we all have specific traits, values, principles, etc., that make us unique and help us express our individualities. However, sometimes, these invisible lines that make us special can be easily blurred. That happens when we allow other people’s ideas, emotions, and behaviors to infiltrate us.
Boundaries are what protect us from such intrusions. They also help to improve our mental and emotional health by keeping us in control of our minds and life. By setting different boundaries, we teach people how best to treat us. We also build our self-esteem, avoid burnout, protect our identities, and live happier lives.
Do you want to know more about proven ways to boost your mental health? Then visit our online portal now. We always keep it updated with the latest insights for better mental wellbeing.
