Q: I need to set some boundaries with people who I feel are taking advantage of me. I have never been good at this and I need help. How do I begin?
A: Most of us have never really learned how to set healthy boundaries with others. It also seems that most people have poor financial boundaries with the average person carrying over $5,000 in credit card debt. People think nothing of bringing their cell phones in stores and restaurants. How many of us begin an evening of TV only to end up watching it for 6 hours? These are poor boundaries.
Setting healthy boundaries require knowing what is appropriate in every setting you find yourself. Creating healthy boundaries can help you with striking a balance that you want to maintain. While you also want to make sure your boundaries are not violated. Healthy boundaries require inner strength and discipline to honor what you have established to achieve better stability and structure in your life.
You can begin to list areas in your life where you feel you have weak or no boundaries. It could be related to healthy eating, alcohol, screen time, finances, etc. Now list boundaries that you would like to create in your life in order to achieve a sense of balance. Add a few words about what you can do to have these boundaries honored.