“Hey… get outta my bubble!”🤨
Personal boundaries are an important way that we can keep ourselves physically and emotionally safe from others. They are the rules and limits we can set for ourselves within relationships. They allow a person to say “no” to experiences or others that makes us uncomfortable, while still maintaining healthy relationships. Establishing healthy boundaries for yourself can lead to more positive and productive social and interpersonal experiences that encourage self- respect, personal growth and discourage being taken advantage of and mistreatment. Below are some examples of boundaries and some tips that can help you achieve these goals, compliments of ‘Therapist Aid LLC.”:
PHYSICAL BOUNDARIES- refer to personal space and physical touch. Healthy boundaries include an awareness of what’s appropriate, and what’s not, in various settings and types of relationships (hug, shake hands, or kiss?). Physical boundaries may be violated if someone touches you when you don’t want them to, or when they invade your personal space (for example, rummaging through your bedroom). (These are mainly for safety and can vary depending on mood, situation or person).
INTELLECTUAL BOUNDARIES- refer to thoughts and ideas. Healthy intellectual boundaries include respect for others’ ideas, and an awareness of appropriate discussion (should we talk about the weather or politics?). Intellectual boundaries are violated when someone dismisses or belittles another person’s thoughts or ideas. (Minimizing and over-simplifying are examples of this).
EMOTIONAL BOUNDARIES- refer to a person’s feelings. Healthy emotional boundaries include limitations on when to share, and when not to share, personal information. For example, gradually sharing personal information during the development of a relationship, as opposed to revealing everything to everyone. Emotional boundaries are violated when someone criticizes, belittles, or invalidates another person’s feelings. (They tell you you’re too emotional or you need to have thicker skin aside from dismissing or invalidating what you’re feeling. They may try to dismiss your emotions entirely or try to tell you how you should feel).
SEXUAL BOUNDARIES- refer to the emotional, physical and intellectual aspects of sexuality. Healthy sexual boundaries involve mutual understanding and respect of limitations and desires between sexual partners. Sexual boundaries can be violated with unwanted sexual touches, pressure to engage in sexual acts, leering, or sexual comments or inuendos. (They may try to make you feel guilty or like a priss if you don’t want to comply with their request for something deviant or well outside of what is considered within the norm).
💲MATERIAL BOUNDARIES- refer to money and possessions. Healthy material boundaries involve setting limits on what you will share, and with whom. For example, it may be appropriate to lend a car to a family member, but probably not to someone you just met this morning. Material boundaries are violated when someone steals or damages another person’s possessions, or when they pressure them to give or lend (them their possessions.(And just because you’re in a relationship or even married to someone, DOES NOT give them a free license to do whatever they want whenever they want, with money that is yours, your family’s, even your own personal paycheck! Some abusers will try to brainwash you into thinking otherwise, my ex was like this, so WATCHOUT!)
⏲TIME BOUNDARIES- refer to how a person uses their time. To have healthy time boundaries, a person must set aside enough time for each facet of their life such as work, relationships, and hobbies. Time boundaries are violated when another person demands too much of another’s time.
*FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THE ARTICLE “TIPS FOR HEALTHY BOUNDARIES!”