Healthy boundaries in work, life and love
“You need boundaries … Even in our material creations, boundaries mark the most beautiful of places, between the ocean and the shore, between the mountains and the plains, where the canyon meets the river.” — Wm Paul Young
Setting appropriate boundaries in all key areas of your life is essential not only to your health and wellbeing, but to your self-esteem, too. Boundaries signify a limit or an endpoint for what you will tolerate or accept. They provide an emotional blueprint for how you let other people treat you. If we do not respect ourselves, we often struggle with boundaries and this may result in feeling as though we have been “used” or taken advantage of.
Boundaries in a relationship signify where one person starts and the other person ends. They allow each person to identify as a unique individual with their own set of goals and desires. Boundaries provide the space for both individuals to voice their opinions and make their own decisions. “Your personal boundaries protect the inner core of your identity and your right to choices,” the wise poet Gerard Manley Hopkins once said.
Examples of where boundaries are lacking in a relationship include: being told by another person how to think,
