6 Concrete Signs You Need Strong Boundaries in Your Next Life Chapter

You don’t want to let others walk over you. You don’t want to let them get away with treating you badly. You need to make your expectations clear and put your foot down if they try to pressure you into doing something that makes you uncomfortable. Here are some tangible signs that you need strong boundaries in your next chapter of life:

You always end up doing what everyone else wants and ignoring what you want.

You should not let others pressure you to do whatever they want you to do. If you are not interested in a certain area or a certain job, they should respect your decision. They shouldn’t trick you into changing your mind and giving them what they want anyway. You must set firm boundaries about what you are and are not comfortable with because people who genuinely respect you will respect your boundaries.

You automatically offer forgiveness to everyone who hurts you, even when their behavior has become a pattern.

You don’t owe anyone your time or your forgiveness, especially people who have trouble treating you right. While giving them a second chance is generous, giving them a tenth and eleventh chance is probably not a very good idea. If they can’t figure out how to treat you right, then they don’t deserve a place in your life at all. But if you’re not ready to say goodbye to them yet, at least set some firm boundaries so they know who you are and aren’t willing to stop.

You always swallow your feelings and hold back your opinions.

Your thoughts are just as important as everyone else’s. You shouldn’t feel like you need to keep your opinions to yourself to ‘keep the peace’ or because no one cares how you feel. You should surround yourself with people who appreciate you and want to hear what you have to say. Otherwise, they are not looking for a real partner or friend. They want a cardboard cutout to stand next to them.

You get angry at how much you do for others and how little they do for you.

You may not mind going above and beyond for the people you love – at least at first. But eventually, you’ll grow resentful of how much effort you put into every communication while they haven’t lifted a finger. You too it should feel bad about this. It’s not good for you. And you need to set firm boundaries so your relationship doesn’t end up feeling one-sided.

You never say ‘no’ even when you want to.

Even if you want to be there for your loved ones, they don’t get unlimited access to you. You need to set firm boundaries so that they know you are not available to them every second of every day. You have your life too.

You feel a general feeling of unhappiness and discomfort.

You don’t want others to take advantage of your tender heart. Remember, you can be kind again strict about your boundaries at the same time. Being independent is not being cruel to them. It shows kindness to you.