How To Begin Setting Boundaries

Do you feel as if you are never caught up, or your life is not your own? Do you question the legitimacy of your own needs? Would you do almost anything to avoid hurting others? I know I did! I knew something needed to change and I needed to learn how to begin setting boundaries in my life.

Pushing my limit has always been a given for me. In my mind, it feels right to test where’s my edge and what can be accomplished. For a while, it worked, and I felt like I could do anything, be anyone. What I didn’t realize was how quickly I was heading for something called burnout. 

I hit that burnout limit as a small business owner during the COVID Pandemic in 2020. I pushed myself day after day after day, trying to make ends meet. My feet would ache from teaching 12+ hours. I would lose my voice by the end of the week and need to pop a cough drop to make it through the weekend. At that moment, I was so grateful to continue to work and wanted to give my clients my absolute best. Every time I would second guess myself, I’d remember how blessed I was and push through. At the end of the day, I had nothing left to offer, not to my partner, not to my dog, not even myself. 

It finally dawned on me that I needed to make a change. I needed to set my limits and figure out before it all fell apart. In my quest to figure out how to set boundaries for myself, I explored what gave me energy and what was draining my life. Once I figured out what was most important for me, it became clear what I needed and where I had to make changes.

Take a moment and ask yourself…

• What brings joy to my day?
• When is my energy the highest?
• What are my non-negotiable rituals?
• What does “”ME”” time look like?
• What do I need to do to start and end my day well?
• What drains my energy? (This may be a person)
• What are my day-to-day necessities? Can I cover them?

Now, picture you on your best day. What does that look like?

What I realized was…

• I can’t work at 6am anymore, my body doesn’t agree with it. 
• Weekends need to be reserved for business administrative work and cultivating healthy relationships. 
• Movement is non-negotiable for me. It gives me inner peace. 
• Meal prepping keeps me feeling healthy and abolishes triggers for me.
• Walking my dog and dry brushing every morning gives me a routine that naturally wakes me up. 
• It’s time to retire some clients that don’t serve me anymore. 
• Sleep is underrated and should be at the top of my list every day.

My time, my energy, and my life are SACRED. With a new year, 2021 brought MAJOR change. The boundaries I’ve set are to help me be the best I can be. 

Do you need to re-evaluate your boundaries? Let’s do it together.