Boundaries
Important Aspect of Wellness
Have you ever felt that the go-for-everything mentality has gotten the masses heading to an unhealthy path? That the FOMO, at its core, is uninspiring and draining our sanity to the bones.
Here is my take, the fear of missing something prevents people from enjoying life mindfully. Focusing on that constant what to do next - what is everyone doing right now, is hijacking the opportunity to fully enjoy the right now in a way that matters or is truly meaningful. The goal has become to do or get anything, instead of becoming experts in living your own life right now.
Is it doable for everyone to experience everything every time? Can the same experience be beneficial and prioritized the same way for everyone?
If you honor how everyone is different, that proposal is illogical. No formula can bring the same result to everyone in the same way. Period!
The key to achieving balance & wellness in this situation is setting boundaries around what matters to you. And try to be open-minded with the connotation of boundaries. Boundaries are not exclusive to restrictions or limitations. Is mainly about honoring what nurtures your ability to thrive at living - even if that falls out of scope or understanding of others.
It's not an obligation to sacrifice your sanity for the sake of trends or toxic cultures. You don’t need to hang out every weekend and exploit your energy or wallet. You don’t need to keep up with every trend or debate. You can sit one out. You have choices. You have options. Most importantly, you have an individual set of conditions to thrive in life. Honor them.
Curious about how that is possible? Ready to take advantage of that option?!
Keep reading to see a few simple ways to create, establish, modify and sustain boundaries.
How to create boundaries?
Simple, do what makes you happy and nurtures your well-being. Anything that falls outside that set of interests should receive the least of your efforts. Set the boundaries and honor them with every item in your schedule or To-do list.
For example, being a young professional is not a synonym to have your life figured out or live carelessly. On the other hand, it does not mean you are supposed to be a workaholic or pay your dues by sacrificing the quality of life. You can opt out and create a unique definition path.
Place boundaries where cultural influence is inert. It can be honoring your mental health, working on your financial stability, or working on health goals. Whatever you fill makes you feel complete but is missing out proactively seek to experience it. Set every boundary needed to protect or support the goal, even if that means living differently from the cultural norms.
Set your boundaries, your limits, your comfort & discomfort areas. Explore them, modify them. But do so having ownership of the life you want to create.
For some individuals, it will be easier than others. Not everyone has the same starting line. But that is not a reason to quit. Build your pace, work your way to a better circumstance until you are ready to tackle the big goals.
Set the Tone for the boundary
After the boundaries are in place, you have to communicate them among your support group or community. You have to encourage a healthy environment among them so they can support your health goals effectively.
Whether the boundaries are to protect your energy, your heart, your physical endurance, your growth mindset - they need to be properly established. It goes beyond a diet to support weight loss goals or a mood board to design a lifestyle. The point is to set an actionable boundary around every possible detour or interception to your goals.
Get clear on them and define them as best as you can. The most important thing is to set the boundaries having your preferences and characteristics front and center, not mimicking the masses or falling prey to the trends.
Photo by Taylor Simpson on UnsplashTo Sustain, Modify & Revise.
The most important thing about boundaries you have to understand is that they evolve with you. As you change, so will their intensity, so will their rigidity. As you keep moving forward, you may even outgrow some of them. That is just fine. Just keep setting new ones or adjusting them as your lifestyle or goals needs them.
I know many of you have trouble keeping up with boundaries - for whatever reason- and fall back to unhealthy patterns. It happens. But that is not enough of a reason to avoid establishing them in the first place. New or uneasy boundaries can be approached with flexibility and self-compassion and reach a decent level of effectiveness. Consistency and acceptance are key here.
Trial and error until you reach a sweet point where you can accomplish your desired lifestyle. Aim for a process, not a final result, is a journey, not a destination. Treat it as such.
Quick Survey:
Shifts to Implement Health Goal supporting Boundaries
If you want to start using boundaries as a way to nurture your healthiest and most balanced version of yourself, try the following shifts:
Curious about how to implement these shifts in your life? Reach out! I’ll be more than happy to guide you through them and help figure out how each of them can look out to you.
From my journey to yours
The first one is the hardest.
Looking for a safety blanket for financial stability after my dad's passing, I voluntarily cave into workaholic patterns. Since I had to work to support myself, a day off in my mind meant failing at the goal. I was under the belief that hustling was the only sure way to make it.
Years into that mindset broke me. It was too taxing. Hard to enjoy a day off or not see a sick day as weakness. I lost my voice, my preferences, how to truly support my needs. I started to lose sight of the good things in life. That led me to a fatigued and burnout body way too quickly, I mean how can I feel purposeless in my late 20’s? Isn’t that considered prime time?
That lifestyle was not working for me. It may be an option for others, but I had to admit I was just not built for it. A thriving life looked different to me.
But could I change my ways? Was there something else? Yes!
I found the best path for me by setting boundaries. Looking to support what I needed consistently, I created a winning formula. Afterward, I was able to understand what I thrived on and learned how to nourish it.
Promptly, a sustainable bio-individual lifestyle started to come together. Living became exciting and nurturing. Now, that is a goal I can and want to accomplish. But it wouldn’t have been a reality if I didn’t set up boundaries that kept unhealthy & draining habits at bay.
How about you? Do you want to create boundaries that support your best version? Go for it. All you need is to start.
Until Next One!
Stay happy, stay healthy, Stay BALANCED,
