Setting your Mental Health Boundaries

Everyone who has struggled with their mental health in the past knows that it is no joke. Although invisible, mental illnesses can ruin lives, damage relationships, and drain just about every ounce of energy from a person. Having poor mental health is not your fault, but is simply a product of many different things. Between life circumstances, past trauma, and the chemical makeup of your brain. Although in 2020 we are talking more than ever about mental health and its devastating effects. We have a long way to go before this issue is anywhere near solved.

Sometimes when your mental health is going through a rough time, it’s really hard to set boundaries. This could be boundaries within your own routine, within your relationships with others, or within your interactions with your surroundings. If you feel that you have had trouble setting mental health boundaries for yourself and others in the past, here are some tips to help you set you the next time around.

Striking A Balance

If you are being cared for by a loved one. Or, indeed if you are caring for a loved one, you might find your boundaries are blurred. Even those who love you most and just want what is best for you can end up suppressing you, or wrapping you in cotton wool. If you wish to do certain things alone, such as doctor’s office visits, shopping, or exercise, ensure you make this clear. Just because someone is taking care of you, it doesn’t mean you can’t tell them ‘No.’

Owning your Physical Health

In a similar way, it can actually be beneficial to make important decisions for your physical health and fitness, even if your mental health is suffering. If you can. Try to set achievable goals for yourself. Ensure you complete all the tasks on your list in order to improve your physical wellbeing. Taking care of your own health, even if it’s totally unrelated to your mental health, is key. For example, if you have been meaning to see an optician about blurred vision, try to complete this errand and pick up your frames – you might even find high quality and low prices, and you will doubtless feel a sense of achievement when it’s done.

You Are Still Capable

If you have felt weak for a long time, you may have lost your sense of self-belief. If you have recovered before, only to fall back into your mental illness, later on, you might feel like this time will never be better. Setting boundaries for yourself to stop reinforcing negativity is important. There are a few ways to do this. First, if you catch yourself thinking a bad thought about yourself, actively try to turn it into a positive one. For example: ‘I am never going to be strong enough’ could be turned into ‘I am going to be strong enough one day.’

No matter how hard you’ve had to fight in the past, you can and will do it again. Setting boundaries for yourself and others is just one step in the right direction to a more healthy mind and a more enjoyable life.

Until next time…