How to Set Boundaries with Family and Friends This Holiday Season
It's Okay to Say No And You Don't Have to Feel Guilty Either
Have you ever felt like you blurred your lines too many times and don’t have a clear idea on what you are willing to do or not do?
Have you ever struggled to say “no” to someone asking for a favor or asking you to take on their responsibilities?
Have you ever felt like your people-pleasing side takes control too often in your decision making?
If you have experienced any of these situations, how did they make you feel afterward? Did you feel stressed, burnt out or even angry and frustrated?
You see, when we don’t have boundaries, and we let ourselves “go with the flow” according to other people’s will, requests or expectations, we can end up not taking care of ourselves and leaving our mental and emotional health in a messy pile that we have to untangle and unravel later.
Although the concept of boundaries can seem intimidating, when you start creating, practicing, and implementing your boundaries, they will get easier. The habit of people-pleasing or being the “peacemaker” can cause us to feel some resistance toward setting boundaries.
But for the sake of our mental and emotional health, boundaries are necessary to ensure we don’t overextend ourselves or pressure ourselves to do something we don’t truly want to do.
