Boundaries: Self-Care Foundations #1

In Part 1 of this 3-part series on self-care foundations, we explore the first principle of better self-care: Start with boundaries.

(Read Self-Care Foundations #2: Make it Personal)

(Read Self-Care Foundations #3: Nurture Your Whole Self)

Without boundaries, no matter how many massages you get, you’ll still feel burned out.

No matter how many bubble baths you take, you’ll still feel stressed.

Why?

Because a bubble bath won’t stop the demanding clients who insist their poor planning become your emergencies, causing you to lose too much sleep and drink too much coffee to keep going. (And need even MORE “self-care” to cope.)

A manicure won’t keep your mom from judging your parenting style – again – or prevent work from taking over the evening you promised to spend with your kids.

But boundaries will.

When you enforce your boundaries, it’s not personal; it’s your policy.

Boundaries are POWERFUL. To name a few benefits, they:

• define the behavior you tolerate from others (Think: “I will hang up the phone if you yell.”)
• prevent others from taking advantage of you (Think: “If you wish to discuss this further, my rate is $x per hour.)
• help you say no without guilt (Think: “Weekends are my family time.”)
• reduce your stress and emotional chaos (You won’t need to simply “check out” or escape anymore.)
• reduce decision fatigue (You don’t have to wonder, “How am I gonna handle THIS situation, THIS time?” You already know.)

Because boundaries are pre-determined, they are not a personal value judgment against someone else. They are simply your policy, like office hours, No Shirt No Service stipulations, or the rules of a tennis game.

They are an act of love.

Boundaries help you stay true to yourself. They lessen the pressure to conform, people please, compromise your convictions, or neglect your needs.

I would have saved myself a lot of heartache in my younger years if I’d had boundaries in my toolkit. In fact, I was able to end the cycle of abusive relationships and finally have a healthy marriage only AFTER I learned to make and lovingly maintain my boundaries.

They help other people know what to expect from you.

You can’t control another person. You can only control your actions and responses. Boundaries define your actions and responses so you can be intentional rather than reactive. They help other people understand your needs and expectations, as well as anticipate your consistent responses.

Boundaries help you show up at your best for yourself, your family, and your clients. They are an act of love, both for yourself and for others.

Boundaries are the foundation of self-care.

Without boundaries, your self-care practices are like raking the grass during a hurricane.

That’s why I created Me-Time Magic: Guilt-Free Self-Care for Your Body, Mind, and Soul.

We start with boundaries as the foundational piece of ALL your self-care activities.

Me-Time Magic helps you:

• Establish and maintain firm boundaries that protect your time, manage your emotions, and set you up for success
• Multiply your self-care efforts so you get the most benefit in the least amount of time (yes, even 10 minutes at a time!)
• Create a self-care routine that works for YOU – based on your individual needs, resources, preferences, and self-care style
• Set up a sacred space that’s ready when you need a rejuvenating 5-minute self-care break
• Experience more self-love and compassion, and release negative thoughts and patterns so you don’t need to escape or shut down

Sounds great, right?

AND, it’s at a super no-brainer price so you feel GREAT about picking it up.

>>>Click here to learn more about Me-Time Magic<<<

Because you’re worth it!