Healthy boundaries are the way we maintain our mental health by separating ourselves from others and how we feel obligated to them. From relationships to taking on too many responsibilities, maintaining healthy boundaries is important for lifelong recovery.
Let Go Of Fear
Often, a lack of healthy boundaries is the result of fear. We have a fear of missing out, a fear of disappointing others, a fear of getting hurt or abused because we say no, a fear of being abandoned, a fear of rejection- there can be a lot of fear behind not agreeing to and taking on what someone gives us. Overwhelmed by our mental health symptoms for so long was a life lived in fear of ourselves and of others. Coming to treatment and choosing a lifestyle of recovery takes bravery and courage. That bravery and courage is not a one time event. Adapting these virtues as part of our personality helps us to transcend above fear and act in our best interest as well as the best interest of other people. When we take on too much out of fear, we tend to create self-fulfilling prophecies of self-sabotage. Letting go of fear takes time and practice through mindfully noticing our anxieties and tensions when we come across a place in life where a boundary should be.
Learn Your Own Limitations
Everyone has a limit. In recovery from mental health, we sometimes feel invincible. After spending so many years struggling under the weight of our mental health symptoms, we feel a freedom and invincibility in our recovery. Though it may feel as though you can take over the world, the truth is, you still need to take on just enough at a time so that you can handle it in a healthy and balanced way. It is true that you can do more than you thought was possible and manage it better than ever before. Testing your limits and learning what you are capable of is part of the recovery journey. However, when taking on too much becomes stressful, debilitating, and starts wearing on your mental health, it has become too much. Unless you have signed a legal contract, no obligation is permanent. When it comes to your mental health, even getting out of a contract might be a necessary step. Life is a long journey of learning, growing, making mistakes, then learning and growing some more. Sometimes the only way to set a healthy boundary is to experience the adverse effects of a negative or nonexistent boundary. Thereafter, you will know what you are capable of and what you aren’t. There is no shame in not being able to take on more than you can take on. We are only built for so much.
As one of California’s only primary mental health treatment facilities, Avalon By The Sea provides trusted residential treatment programs with trusted results. Our beautiful estate boasts our luxury residence surrounded by lush gardens and the iconic California coast. For a confidential assessment and more information on our programs, call us today at 888-958-7511.
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