馃У Boundaries 1 of 2
Set a really difficult boundary with a friend who was unintentionally trauma-dumping on me.
She was sending so many messages and screenshots (RE: divorce), it was too much!
It was hard, but protecting my own emotional capacity was necessary. To anyone else out there struggling with this, know that it's okay to prioritize your own needs and communicate them with kindness and clarity.
Relatedly, 2.5 weeks ago I had to mute someone I know IRL because after already clearly communicating my answer to something they needed help with via text and voice note, they were just being pushy.
Context: he kept ignoring my 'Nos' even moving to LinkedIn DM to ask again.
It was a reminder that you can't make people listen or respect your limits that you're left with the decision to mute or block them.
Setting boundaries isn't a one-time thing, it's a practice.
You are allowed to build walls to protect your peace.
LMK if you've had to also do something like this, thanks.
馃У Boundaries 2 of 2
When people ignore your communicated boundaries, the most important thing is how you respond to protect yourself.
It's not our job to teach them how to hear us. Instead of getting frustrated, I chose to simply withdraw my presence to protect my peace.
To anyone struggling with someone who just won't respect your 'stop,' know that it's okay to take that final step and remove yourself from the situation. Your peace matters!
Yesel Yoon Ph.D. has a fantastic piece on Psychology Today "Navigating Relationships: The Power of Healthy Boundaries
How to show up in your relationships without burning out."
KEY POINTS
Boundary setting is a mutually beneficial and positive strategy to maintain healthy relationships.
It's important to question the assumptions we hold about what it means to be a "good" relationship partner.
Undermining your own needs in relationships can lead to resentment, burnout, and future conflict.
