Everyone needs their personal space. You don’t feel comfortable when other people invade your personal space without permission. Things get tense when you tell them to back off and they choose to ignore you. Some people need a bigger personal space than others, and this means they might not realize that they’re making you feel uncomfortable.
To avoid situations like this, it’s important to set your boundaries. This goes for every aspect of your life.
Knowing What You Deserve
Your boundaries are important when you are making decisions that will impact your life greatly. For instance, when you are purchasing a house in Daybreak, Utah, your communication with a realtor should include your minimum requirements for the house and the maximum you are willing to pay.
This means you don’t waste your time looking at properties that are not within the range you specified. Knowing your boundaries means understanding what you can afford, and your realtor should respect this instead of pushing for a higher sale just for them to get a higher commission. Remember, you are the one who will be paying for the property, not them.
When you allow yourself to be swayed by other people’s decisions, you may end up unhappy with the decision because you didn’t make it yourself. This can easily be prevented by learning how to say no even if you feel like people will be disappointed.
Communicating What You Want and Need
When you’re in a relationship, you’re showing your vulnerabilities to someone else. This opens you up to being hurt in the future if you don’t communicate what you want, expect, and need from the relationship. Though you may think this can wait until later, it will be healthier for the relationship if you talk about your boundaries early on. If there are things you and your partner don’t share the same opinions about, you have the chance to compromise and work things out; otherwise, you’ll know early on if the relationship will go anywhere.
Talking about boundaries also prevents uncomfortable situations and misunderstandings. Opening up the topic may seem daunting at first, but your relationship will be better for it.
Breaking Unhealthy Bonds
There are people you become friends with because you shared similar experiences or needed each other’s help. When circumstances change, however, the relationship may also change. Some friendships do not last because the parties don’t see eye to eye.
If your “friends” believe in things that contradict your own beliefs, or you find them to be a bad influence in your life, it’s okay to discuss the boundaries of the friendship — or even end it. They may become an acquaintance or casual friend, someone you will not drop your meetings for, but whom you may agree to see from time to time. It’s also important to discuss boundaries when there is a financial risk. If they are known to borrow money from close friends and they have a reputation for not paying their debts, you’ll want to protect yourself.
Your decisions should benefit you. To ensure that you make decisions for your best interest, know and set your boundaries.
