Take one step at a time! It’s going to be hard, but hard does not mean impossible!

?Many of us fail to successfully assert boundaries because our emotions get in the way.

When we’ve built up a lot of negative emotions about somebody who may be crossing our boundaries,

or we feel intimidated by them, we tend to ruminate. ?

And those negative emotions become so strong that we tend to communicate in an ineffective way.?

This could unintentionally lead to things like avoiding eye contact or appearing guarded.

Preparing your tone and body language are just as important as preparing your words. ?

Try to remove any anger, resentment or hostility from your voice.

Strive for a tone that’s both calm and confident.?

People are more likely to respond positively to us making a request—or to us saying no to a request—if we’re calm,

if we’re able to express our needs in a way that is fair and makes sense to them, and if we’re being respectful of the other person.

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Check in with yourself regularly.

Boundary setting doesn’t mean saying no to every single thing we don’t want to do. ?

Sometimes we say yes to things we may not want to say yes to because close relationships are characterized by reciprocity.??

To ensure you aren’t going overboard with boundary setting, it’s important to regularly take time for introspection.

Is this relationship healthy and balanced enough that you feel comfortable occasionally doing things you don’t want to??

[Boundaries] aren’t just about saying no.

In a healthy relationship, it’s all about context.

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If you’re struggling to get started, remember this:

Anyone who reacts poorly to healthy boundary setting probably isn’t someone you want in your life to begin with.

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If someone is willing to reject you on the basis of you setting a boundary, it’s good to get that information early on.

You just dodged a bullet.