7 Key Situations Where Setting Boundaries is Crucial for Success and Well-Being

Boundary setting is an essential part of maintaining healthy relationships in business and in other aspects of our lives. Prioritizing self-care, and protecting your time and energy helps to ensure that you are in the right frame of mind to succeed in your business and also in your everyday life. While it may be challenging to set boundaries because not everyone around you is going to be okay with it, it is crucial to do so in certain situations to avoid burnout, resentment and emotional exhaustion. Below are seven(7) situations in life where you must set firm boundaries.

TOXIC RELATIONSHIPS AND EMOTIONAL LABOR: Set boundaries with people who drain your energy, give criticisms that are not constructive and don't respect your boundaries, and learn to say no to emotional demands when you can't shoulder any emotional baggage.

WORK-LIFE BALANCE: Establish clear boundaries between your work and personal life to avoid overwork and burn out. For instance you can say this to your team," hi team, Starting next week, I'll be working from 8am-4pm, Monday through to friday and will not be checking work emails or take work calls after these hours unless it's something very urgent. This is to help me adjust my work schedule to my personal life." This example is simple, clear and straightforward.

TIME MANAGEMENT: Set boundaries around your time, prioritise tasks, avoid over commitments, and communicate ahead of time if you can't meet a specific deadline.

FINANCIAL BOUNDARIES: Set limits on lending money whether to friends, family or business partners. Don't give what you don't have at your own detriment because you want to keep others happy. Avoid over spending to maintain financial stability.

PERSONAL SPACE: Establish physical boundaries to protect your privacy and alone time. Example you can let family or friends know this " I'm setting aside Sunday afternoons for myself to recharge and relax. I won't be checking emails or accepting calls during this time unless it is an emergency. Please reach out to me before or after this time if you want to connect". This is a simple yet an assertive way of communicating your boundaries.

SOCIAL MEDIA: Do not share everything about your personal life online. Set boundaries around your online presence, including time spent on social media.

FAMILY/ BUSINESS EXPECTATIONS: Do not give in to everything family members or business partners want because they are connected to you, one way or the other. Let them know where their liberty around you begins from and where it ends.

Society views boundary setting as something odd but it is not. People will view you as a difficult person to deal with when you have boundaries and begin to see you as the problem when you refuse to tolerate just anything from anybody. know that setting boundaries doesn't make you selfish or a difficult person, it a requirement that is essential to living a balanced and fulfilling life.