Boundaries

“We live in a time when people have unprecedented access to us. Bosses and coworkers expect you to read emails and DMs late at night, friends and family go into long rants over the phone or texts and expect instant feedback. Sometimes we have to say, ‘I don’t have the capacity to hold you right now because I’m trying to hold myself.'” ~Melanie Santos

Stone walls, fences, and guard rails define our limits and announce our boundaries. They protect our property or keep us from falling over the edge. Along these lines, emotional boundaries helps us guard our time and privacy.

While the internet serves as an invaluable communication tool, it also makes us more accessible than ever before. Every once in a while we need to ask: How much information is appropriate to share with virtual strangers? How “available” do I need to be?

Boundaries uphold our dignity and give us the right to say no. Boundaries show others how we want to be treated. And if we expect others to respect our boundaries, it follows that we should respect theirs, too. ~CL