Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown is one such book that maps the emotions and stages of the human experience. It gives us a peek into how we function and how our thoughts create the reality we live in. If living through the pandemic taught us one thing, then it’s that nothing is in our control except ourselves, our thoughts, emotions, and our recognition of it. Living through the pandemic, we had to adapt. Most of us find ourselves in a world where our personal and professional life now is integrated more than ever. Thus making it even more challenging to establish a clear boundary around it. As a result, we sacrifice our professional goals for personal life or vice versa. So, how do we set limits to ensure that we balance our professional and personal relationships? Most importantly, how do we do this to keep a healthy mind space for ourselves?
The professional space is tricky since there is a wage or a salary involved. We primarily do not allow ourselves the well-being of our mind space. Still, contrary to this, Brene suggests that allowing ourselves healthy boundaries can serve as a nurturing environment for us to achieve our goals and serve as an inspiration to those around us who are struggling.
Those who do not appreciate your boundaries often struggle themselves; their lack of appreciation is a clue of their own struggles and for you to help them in their journey. In this article, we will give you 5 tips on how you can establish healthy boundaries in a workplace environment.
Develop a morning routine.
We often feel guilt or shame when setting up boundaries, and most of the time, it comes from a space of self-neglect. To counter this, it is essential to focus on ourselves. A fun way to do this is to develop a morning routine. It can be exercise, skincare, planning your task list, or even making yourself a healthy breakfast. A morning routine subconsciously tunes you to focus on yourself and teaches you the importance of spending time with yourself.
Self-awareness is a good thing.
Pay attention to your instincts! What gives you a sense of security? What causes you to feel uneasy? Setting boundaries is prioritizing your comfort to feel secure and present with others, but you must first acknowledge and honor your feelings. Allowing boundaries to shift and alter as you grow is essential; let this happen while also making space to recognize and sit with your feelings.
Don’t explain personal time off.
We are often taught to be there whenever we are asked for in the corporate world. In the long run, most of us forget the importance of taking time off just because we think our employers wouldn’t understand. We have all lied at work just to secure personal time off so that we don’t upset our employers or loved ones. However, it’s essential to be truthful to ourselves, and when we lie to others, we are essentially lying to ourselves. For example: if you want to spend time at home, there is no need to come up with excuses, no need to explain why and the how; just honoring the desire of spending time with loved ones is enough. You’d be surprised how much you’ll inspire others to do the same.
Start small if creating boundaries makes you feel uncomfortable or frightened.
You have the right to say no without feeling bad, but it takes practice! Begin by establishing a little barrier in a more manageable location, then gradually increase it. If it makes you feel more comfortable, you can offer an option while creating a boundary. If someone asks you for a favor and you don’t feel comfortable doing it, you can suggest a tool or another person who can help.
If you need backup, get support.
Defining and asserting boundaries can get even trickier if you, a loved one or a colleague lives with a mental health condition, mood disorder, or a history of trauma. It’s essential to check in regularly to ensure that everyone is content with meeting their needs and respecting boundaries. Lastly, being part of a community can reduce the sense of loneliness we all feel. We have all asked ourselves the “Why me?” question, and it’s not just us. Most of the people around us are going through a similar version of the same problems we face. So, sharing and listening can help us put our own feelings into perspective. Becoming a part of such a community can do wonders. Visit our Facebook page and follow us to be part of our community and get your dose of inspiring content.
If you’re interested in Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown and would like to check out our book review, watch the full episode on Her Journey Told.Â
