The Importance of Setting Boundaries to Maintain Your Health

There are many ways to take care of yourself. Eat right, exercise, get plenty of sleep, and minimize stress are just a few of the recommended techniques. You might also find that learning when to say no and setting other healthy boundaries makes a difference in your recovery health. What exactly does this mean and why does it matter?  

We All Need to Respect Boundaries 

Boundaries aren’t about punishment or shame. Instead, they allow people to communicate what’s important to them and also acknowledge that certain actions or behaviors of other people aren’t acceptable. For example, maybe you’ve had to establish guidelines to avoid the complications of a codependent marriage or another relationship. 

We all have a right to determine our boundaries. But what are they, exactly? The Cleveland Clinic states that “healthy boundaries are an important tool needed to make sure you have your needs met. They set up how you want to be treated, promote physical and emotional wellbeing, and respect your needs and the other person’s needs in a relationship.” 

So to have your needs met, boundaries allow you to:

  • Establish a more solid identity
  • Maintain good emotional and mental health
  • Understand how to be more autonomous and assertive
  • Embolden you to tackle personal goals
  • Avoid stress and burnout
  • Foster healthy relationships
  • Establish empathy for other people
  • Prevent others from taking advantage of or manipulating you

The University of California, Berkeley adds that healthy personal boundaries are “the limits and rules we set for ourselves within relationships. A person with healthy boundaries can say ‘no’ to others when they want to, but they are also comfortable opening themselves up to intimacy and close relationships.” The university explains the other ends of the spectrum as well:  

  • Someone with porous boundaries “tends to get too involved with others.” 
  • A person with rigid boundaries “always keeps others at a distance, whether emotionally, physically, or otherwise.” 

Whether you’re in recovery learning better ways to manage your alcohol use disorder (AUD) or substance use disorder (SUD), or you love someone with an addiction problem, healthy boundaries are essential to your well-being. They ensure your ability to maintain positive relationships, eliminate negativity, and safeguard your health.

8 Ways to Set Boundaries to Maintain Your Health

A sobriety boundary is just one of many that people use to create better wellness. However, many of us don’t learn the importance of this concept until much later in life. PsychCentral provides a list of others you might consider. 

1. Emotional 

You’re accountable for your feelings, and it’s essential to communicate and encourage mutual respect for feelings with other people without judgment or criticism. This approach also helps you not to think you have to take responsibility for others’ feelings—for example, being a “people pleaser” just to avoid conflict. 

2. Financial or Material

“I don’t feel comfortable making that choice” is a way to protect your finances and possessions and the decision not to loan money or possessions to others. You can also refine this boundary to positively position yourself in your profession.

3. Mental

You’re allowed to speak your mind with consideration. Use “I statements” to clarify your point in a non-confrontational way. The Depression and Bipolar Alliance suggests something like this: “Instead of ‘Stop touching my stuff and stay out of my room!’ try ‘I feel violated when you enter my room and go through my things, because I value privacy. What I need is a space that I know is private to record my thoughts’.” 

Here’s an example of how to reframe communicating a mental boundary in a workplace setting: “I worked through many problems to come up with these solutions. I think it’s important that I speak about them in the next meeting instead of someone else taking credit for these ideas.”

4. Non-Negotiable

It’s critical to maintain the security of your emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual spaces, and perhaps even for safety. For example, as you move through recovery, it might be necessary to set boundaries that help you disengage from people who don’t support what you’re trying to accomplish.

5. Physical

Whether it’s about rest, someone sitting too close for your comfort, a need for privacy, what’s permitted in your environment, you have a right to state the guidelines. Communicate respect for your physical space, such as, “We don’t allow alcohol, drugs, or smoking in our home.”  

6. Sexual

You have total agency to consent and how you prefer sexual interaction is an essential boundary, regardless of the type or length of an intimate relationship. You’re in control of the who, what, when, where, and how. Sometimes it’s as simple as openly stating what you do and don’t like, such as “I like to be touched like this.” 

7. Spiritual or Religious

You always have a right to act upon spiritual or religious beliefs—or not. 

8. Time

Many of us find it hard to say no when asked to help or when someone demands constant availability. 

Find the Support You Need at Willingway

If you choose to attend one of Willingway’s continuing care community support groups throughout the Southeast, you might discover you’re not the only one trying to understand the concept of boundaries. But remember: they help you develop a more harmonious and fulfilling life in sobriety by promoting respectful interactions, self-care, and personal growth.

The primary treatment philosophy at Willingway’s Georgia and Florida addiction rehabilitation locations is to use evidence-based practices to provide essential treatment, education, and recovery skills that pave the way to lasting wellness. Ask a member of our admission team for more information on how we can help you.