5 Myths About Healthy Boundaries
Boundaries are about taking control. That’s very liberating.
By Brent Peak
You’re tired of people taking advantage of you. Your personal life isn’t going well, and you feel like it’s time for a change. But you’ve already tried this whole idea of setting boundaries, and it just isn’t working. What’s going wrong?
Frequently the problems in setting boundaries stem from several mistaken beliefs about boundaries in general. Below we’ve debunked five myths about healthy boundaries.
Myth #1: If I set boundaries, I’m selfish. That is perhaps the biggest reasons that people don’t set boundaries. From an early age, we are taught to think of others’ needs before our own. So, by the time we’re adults we’re hard-wired to think our own needs don’t matter. Nothing is further from the truth. You set boundaries because you recognize that you have worth and value. You’re saying, “I think enough of myself to feel like I have the rights that everyone else has.” Not less.
Myth #2: Setting boundaries will make me miserable. When we first set boundaries, it takes a little getting used to the changes. The lines we draw are supposed to keep the things we don’t want in our life out, not keep us penned in forever. If you think you’re going to have to live in adherence to a…
