How do you put your boundaries in place?

How would do you describe the feeling of not having your professional boundaries in place at all or when they are not at their best? Does the very thought of that stress you out as you consider what it has been like in the past or could be like in the future if that were the case? 

Now you’ve considered the negative aspect of not having boundaries there, think of the flipside… the positive.

How do you feel when your boundaries are at their best? What are the differences in emotion, in productivity and general happiness? 

Notice the difference

Feel the difference

As you consider what a day, a meeting, a client interaction might be like with and without those boundaries, consider what you need to do to ensure that they are there and in place. What happens when you are feeling unresourced that helps to empower you and bring them back. What do you recognise what rebuilds those boundaries for you?

This is different for everyone and the variables range from events that happen both in and out of work. Self care routines such as sleep, diet or exercise can help, along with the tools or inner resources you have at your disposal from routines, mindfulness practice, breath work, music, dance and much more.

Often it can be the finer detail that helps you to feel in control of your boundaries. When I am working with groups and looking at what you are like when your boundaries are at their best, and what you’re like when they’re not; I often get people to draw the difference.

Mapping out whether with words or pictures how you see yourself and your surroundings when your boundaries are in place is a very good way to understand your interpretation of these feelings and provide a really good way to recognise was you shift from one to the other and when putting those boundaries in place, exactly what you need to achieve that!

So what are you like when your professional boundaries are at their best?