6 Reasons Why Setting Boundaries is Important

Boundaries can be thought of as the limits you set for yourself and others. When you set limits around how you should be treated, you protect your mental and physical space.

Setting boundaries with your partner, family, and friends helps avoid unnecessary resentment and discomfort. You could think of them as your bubble where you can speak your peace. Boundaries help you retain who you are and allow you to express yourself freely. They also allow you to grow together and build a relationship based on respect by allowing your connections with others to revolve around each other’s needs.

It’s time to learn how to set boundaries without feeling guilty. Boundaries help you say YES to yourself by allowing you to say NO when necessary. When you set a limit with someone, you let them know your needs and how best to meet them. Let’s say you need your space and don’t want to be on your phone during dinner. So, you can tell your partner that you will not take calls while eating.

6 Reasons Why Setting Boundaries Is Important in Your Relationships

1. It Allows Healthy Communication

Setting healthy boundaries in your relationship is one major key to allowing healthy communication to take place. When you set boundaries with your partner, you allow yourself and them to know how best to communicate with each other.

You allow each other to know your limits and what you can’t tolerate. Guess what happens when you both know each other’s limits?

CONFLICTS! There will be less speculation of what your partner means and more focus on what they are actually saying.

When you set a boundary with your partner and tell them you need some time to yourself away from people to recharge, they will understand. They will not take your words personally because they know how far to push you.

When you both know your boundaries, you both allow each other to know how to treat each other. If one of you crosses that boundary, it will cause an issue.

Setting a boundary allows you to have an open and heart-to-heart conversation with your partner about how you feel and what you want.

If you feel comfortable enough to let your partner know how you feel, you can let them know if something they do upsets you. Knowing that you can trust your partner with how you feel allows you to have a safe space when discussing your feelings.

2. Allows Room for Mutuality

Mutuality is the ability for two people to share a common understanding of how they should treat each other. When you allow yourself to set up boundaries with your partner, you allow yourself to show them that you know your needs and limits.

By you knowing your limits and showing your partner, you allow your partner to mirror that behavior towards you. Allowing yourselves to know each other’s boundaries can allow for you two to have a great environment to thrive in.

Just because you set a boundary for your personal space doesn’t mean your partner can’t tell you they need space too. When one person knows your boundaries and shows respect by not violating your personal space,

it shows that they don’t only care about you but they care about your relationship as well.

If one person continues to violate your boundaries, it will cause you to feel resentment towards them. Imagine your partner continuously coming into your space when you’ve told them that you need privacy.

3. Avoids built-up resentment

Boundaries allow you to tell your partner how you feel and what you need in a relationship. When you tell your partner how you feel about something, they are less likely to hurt your feelings.

Both you and your partner can feel accomplished that your feelings are being heard. Many people don’t want to speak up for the fear of upsetting their partner.

When you don’t tell your partner how you feel or what you need, you’re left with expectations. Left expectations lead to resentment build-up.

You may feel as if your partner is draining you by constantly asking for your attention. Instead of telling them how you feel about it, you may hold that anger in.

If you allow yourself to set boundaries, you can avoid all that hurt. Let’s say you tell your partner that these are the times you’re available for them.

Then you won’t both be wondering when you’re going to be available for each other. You both can plan your time around each other.

Telling your partner how you feel and what you need allows them to not confuse your actions.

4. Builds Trust

Trust is key when it comes to any healthy relationship. When you allow yourself to communicate your boundaries, you allow you and your partner to feel comfortable around each other.

You allow each other to know how far to go with certain topics. When you tell your partner what you will and won’t tolerate, you allow them to feel comfortable sharing their feelings with you.

Both you and your partner will know each other’s boundaries and allow you to be open about how you feel. When you know your boundaries and allow your partner to know them as well,

you are showing your partner that you value yourself. When you know your boundaries and allow your partner to know them, you show that you care about yourself.

Your partner will then mirror that behavior and let you know they have boundaries as well. Just as you would allow your partner to feel comfortable enough to share their feelings with you,

your partner will feel comfortable enough to share their thoughts with you as well. Building trust in a relationship allows for both partners to feel like they can tell each other anything.

5. Allows You to Maintain Your individuality

It is good to spend time with the people you love, but you should always make time for yourself. When you allow yourself to set boundaries with your partner, you allow yourself to have time for yourself.

You allow yourself to spend time doing what you love to do and not feel guilty that you’re neglecting your partner. Everyone is different and has things they like to do.

Maybe you like to paint, ride your bike, or read. When you allow yourself to do things that you enjoy, you allow yourself to be a better you. Not only will you be happier, but it will make your partner happier because you are happy.

You are allowing yourself to grow as an individual, which will help you as a partner. If you never allow yourself to do the things you love, you will begin to feel smothered.

Your partner will also notice that you are not yourself because you’re not happy. Allowing yourself some me-time will allow you to feel like you again.

6. Allows You to Set Healthy Relationship Dynamics

Setting boundaries allows you to know how you should be treated in relationships. When you allow yourself to set boundaries, you allow yourself and your partner to have a set of rules to follow.

You allow yourself and your partner to know what kind of behavior is acceptable from each other. Since you both know how far you can go with each other, you allow less conflict.

Allowing yourself to know your partner’s boundaries allows you to listen and understand where they are coming from. Let’s say you tell your partner you need time to yourself to recharge.

Your partner now knows that when you say that, you mean it. They will not take your words personally and will give you the space you need.

Both you and your partner know how much of your space the other person needs. You both allow each other to know how much of your emotional and physical energy you can handle.

Allowing yourself to set boundaries can allow you and your partner to know each other better.

Recognizing Your Partner’s Boundaries

Boundaries show how far you would like someone to go with you. When you take the time to recognize your partner’s boundaries, you allow yourself to build trust.

You allow yourself to show your partner that you care about their feelings and their well-being. When you respect the boundaries your partner has set for you, you allow a safe environment.

Not only will you be building a safe environment, but you allow your partner to feel comfortable opening up to you. Whenever your partner opens up to you about how they feel or what they need, you listen.

Listening allows you to know that your partner trusts you with how they feel. Because you two trust each other, you’ll allow for less arguments.

Imagine your partner tells you they don’t like people and you continue to bring them around your friend group. Your partner will feel as if you don’t respect their feelings by doing this.

When you both recognize each other’s boundaries, you allow room for less confusion.

Conclusion

Setting boundaries in your relationships allows you to grow your relationships in many ways. In this article, we discussed how boundaries can help you allow healthy communication and allow room for mutuality.

Boundaries can help you avoid built-up resentment, trust, maintain your individuality, and allow you to set healthy relationship dynamics.

All these reasons are important because boundaries allow you to allow yourself to say NO when you need to. Boundaries allow you to tell your friends and significant other what you need and want.

Allowing yourself to set boundaries allows you to express how you feel without the fear of being judged.

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6 Reasons Why Setting Boundaries is Important in Your Relationships