If ever there is a time when we can get overwhelmed and completely drained, the holiday season is it! These are the six weeks of the year where we take our already hectic and chaotic lives and add the additional stresses of shopping, decorating, entertaining and making sure everyone around us is happy.

In this episode, we empower ourselves and you to set healthy boundaries, allowing us all to find more joy in this "happiest season of all."  We discuss how to know where our thoughts, feelings and actions end and where others' begins. We help you determine when it's time to say no, how that looks in real life and what to do when our boundary upsets someone we love.

SHOW NOTES:
At 1:30, Rachel and Robin share the unlikely story of becoming partners on the podcast, since they are 22 years apart in age and live 200 miles from each other.

At 8:00, Rachel and Robin discuss how the holidays become upside down, as our responsibilities (and expectations) exceed our resources and creating a need for better boundaries.

At 14:00, the pair define boundaries (what are we responsible for) and how they help us create balance and help us find joy.

At 17:00, Robin shares how her need for affirmation and her desire not to disappoint people have made it difficult to set boundaries.

At 24:30, Rachel talks us through how to know if our friends and family are capable of "going to the deep end" with us and how this impacts where we set boundaries with them. Robin argues that the pain (of setting boundaries) is worth the gain.


For more in-depth information on boundaries, check out the many resources by Drs. Cloud and Townsend who wrote the much of the ground-breaking thought on the subject.

Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of your Life by Henry Cloud and John Townsend

Other books in this series include Boundaries in Marriage, Boundaries in Dating, Boundaries with Kids and Boundaries for Leaders.

Or check out http://cloudtwonsend.com for a wealth of free resources, as well as a quiz to determine if you have difficulty establishing and holding boundaries.

Want to connect with Robin and Rachel?
Find them on Instagram here:
https://instagram.com/theproblemwithperfect?igshid=9jvum57yip6l

Also connect with Robin on Facebook at Robin May Ministries
https://www.facebook.com/2330042033706535/posts/2871699789540754?sfns=mo or on Instagram at:  https://ww.instagram.com/p/B3lFRS8HELd/

Connect with Rachel and her life at the loft:
https://instagram.com/rachel__leigh__?igshid=1erbjftzgyje9

Or Email us your thoughts, questions or anything you want us to know at [email protected]