Boundaries – TPW442

Sometimes we "bite off more than we can chew," so to speak. It's important to set boundaries in our personal and professional life so that we have more time for what really matters.

Setting boundaries is a healthy and important part of living a life that matters

I've had several conversations lately with women struggling with overwhelm, often tied to dealing with trying to figure out how to navigate relationships with the people they care for while still managing the other things that matter to them--careers, community involvement, home care, and more. Whether at home or at work, often our ability to be as productive as we want to be is affected by the things that other people expect of us--whether those expectations are reasonable or not. 

Setting boundaries is a critical skill for everyone, but it can be especially important for women due to societal expectations and traditional gender roles that often place additional demands on their time and energy. Establishing clear boundaries can help women maintain a sense of balance and well-being in their personal and professional lives. I wanted to talk today about some key aspects to consider when it comes to women and setting boundaries.

What are boundaries?

I looked to some experts for an explanation of what we mean when we talk about setting boundaris.

One article said, “A boundary is an imaginary line that separates me from you. It separates your physical space, your feelings, needs, and responsibilities from others. Your boundaries also tell other people how they can treat you – what’s acceptable and what isn’t. Without boundaries, people may take advantage of you because you haven’t set limits about how you expect to be treated.” 

A post on the Berkley Wellbeing website talked about “psychological boundaries—or the standard by which we want people to treat us—are harder to identify. Psychological boundaries are also less fixed and change depending on circumstances such as the situation, one’s values, and cognitive, physical, or emotional capacity.” 

One therapist puts it this way: “A boundary is a container around your time, mental and emotional energy, relationships, physical body, and material and energetic resources.”  

An article on PsychCentral.com goes into more detail about the kinds of boundaries we might need to think about and tells us that: “Personal boundaries are simply the lines we draw for ourselves in terms of our level of comfort around others." This article goes on to say:

These boundaries may have to do with: 

* physical contact (not feeling comfortable hugging a person you’ve just met)

* verbal interactions (not wanting a friend or family member to speak down to you)

* our own personal space (choosing to not have others in your home when you aren’t there)

These boundaries typically fall into a few specific categories: 

* emotional (protecting our own emotional well-being)

* physical (protecting our physical space)

* sexual (protecting our needs and safety sexually)

* workplace (protecting our ability to do our work without interference or drama)

* material (protecting our personal belongings)

* time (protecting the use, and misuse, of our time)

Boundaries can also exist in a variety of situations,