Setting boundaries

Many people are currently struggling to set themselves apart from other people, especially during this pandemic, when we live much closer and more prolonged with the people in our household. Where we otherwise have some catalysts and variety in our everyday life, be it at work, in our own circle of friends or at our own appointments to balance it out, we have rarely been together with our dearest ones as continuously and intensely as we are now.

This time of the pandemic offers us an opportunity for more intimate exchanges, where you can get to know each other again from a different side or in a deeper way. But this also creates more potential for arguments. It is particularly important to be able to set boundaries spatially or simply on a personal level. Even before 2020, many people found it difficult to say no, to distance themselves or to stand up for their own opinion. However, due to us being together over a prolonged time and more intensively, this is becoming more and more crucial to learn and to be able to enforce. Our inner peace, integrity, psychological and physical well-being are at stake. If the values ​​and ideas or opinions of the people closest to us are clearly different from our own or even incompatible, we do not have to give up our independence for the supposed well-being of the relationship.

If we consciously deal with it, admit to ourselves that we are still our own closest ally and our own individual, that it is not easy to set boundaries or to set ourselves apart, that is already the first step towards a solution. It is important to set and adhere to our physical and emotional boundaries, simply because we believe in their necessity and importance.

Many people find it easier to follow a huge crowd of people, but that doesn’t necessarily make us happier if their ideas don’t match our own. It is natural that we want to be liked and accepted and at first, it seems that the easiest way to achieve this is to follow the ideas of others without first reflecting on our own opinions or ideas. This is how we deny ourselves.

It is not about communicating negatively with others or wanting to change others, but simply about showing our own limits, setting boundaries and acting and communicating accordingly. We can also have disagreements and our relationships remain good or become even stronger as a result, but we have remained true to ourselves and integrity may make some people lonely, but it makes us happier in the long term, we stay true to ourselves and give ourselves the respect we want to be given by others. We can also pursue activities that are good for ourselves, even if our loved ones cannot understand it. This is how we grow as people. It is up to us to communicate this clearly and respectfully and to defend ourselves against it if these boundaries are crossed. We can’t change other people, but we can adjust our reactions. You don’t have to be shy about setting your own boundaries, this requires emotional maturity, mental strength and, in the long term, means that you are working on yourself and giving yourself enough space and importance.