Setting boundaries instead of New Year’s resolutions can greatly enhance your well-being in 2025.
Being clear about your wants, needs, and deal-breakers can lead to overall improvement in various aspects of life.
Types of Boundaries
According to therapists like Juliane Taylor Shore, setting physical boundaries to protect personal space or external boundaries to define what is acceptable for oneself are crucial in maintaining mental health. Different from requests, boundaries are a way to take action to safeguard mental well-being rather than control others.
Personal Rules of Engagement
Therapists like Terri Cole urge individuals to see boundaries as personal rules for interactions with others. By establishing boundaries, one can prevent stress, burnout, and strained relationships, while boosting confidence, self-esteem, and a sense of control.
The Therapists' Boundaries for 2025
Therapists share various boundaries they are setting for themselves in the coming year, which can potentially benefit others as well.
1. Resist Workload Creep
Juliane Taylor Shore plans to set boundaries to avoid overworking and focus more on spending time with her daughter. Taking time to assess new requests before agreeing can help in restoring balance and overcoming people-pleasing tendencies.
2. Create Tech-Free Time
Terri Cole intends to refrain from engaging in internet activities before 11 a.m. to prioritize self-care. By reserving tech-free time, she emphasizes the importance of replenishing personal energy.
3. Limit News Consumption
San Francisco-based therapist Alex Oliver-Gans plans to reduce doomscrolling by checking the news only twice a day. This approach aims to minimize stress and enhance focus and optimism.
4. Keep Tech Away from the Bedroom
Oliver-Gans suggests establishing a boundary by keeping phones out of the bedroom overnight to improve sleep quality and morning freshness.
5. Equal Conversational Effort
Psychologist Heather Stevenson emphasizes the importance of mutual effort in conversations for balanced relationships. Setting boundaries to allow others to contribute can lead to more fulfilling relationships.
6. Prioritize In-Person Interaction
Kathleen Smith aims to limit time spent on online interactions by prioritizing face-to-face communication. Building boundaries around virtual engagements can enhance mental well-being.
7. Minimize Apologizing
Psychotherapist Lauren Farina suggests only apologizing when genuinely necessary to empower oneself. By pausing before reacting and expressing gratitude instead, one can set strong boundaries around apologies.
8. Be Mindful of Saying “Yes”
Farina advocates for being intentional about agreeing to commitments in alignment with personal values. Setting boundaries around saying “yes” only when genuinely meant can free up time and energy.
9. Handle Energy Vampires
Therapist Sarah Rafik Botrus advises limiting time spent with draining individuals by setting clear boundaries on interaction duration. Managing relationships with energy vampires can contribute to a more positive and energized life.
10. Share Less Online
Botrus plans to restrict sharing personal information on social media to preserve sacred moments. Implementing boundaries around social media use can help in experiencing life fully without external validation.
