Are you overwhelmed? Many of us are, especially if you are a woman. We tend to put more tasks on our plate. I recently had a round table discussion with several other women and we all cried out the same complaint. We are overwhelmed and it is mostly because we are not setting the correct boundaries.
It is okay to say no.
It is okay to take a break.
It is okay to tell someone that makes you uncomfortable.
Establishing personal boundaries
Be aware of your shortcomings (we all have them) and know your limits. he you are aware of what you are incapable of doing or not doing very well you can find alternative routes in accomplishing a task or rather delegating it to someone else. It is okay to step away from a project or get outside help on a certain thing because you lack expertise or skill.
It is also okay to say no. This includes saying no to yourself. Yes, it is nice to relax and watch TV or read a book after dinner but get up and do the dinner dishes. You will thank yourself later when you wake up to a clean sink in the morning. It may also be the opposite of that, letting a mess go for a moment so you can enjoy some time outside or indulge in a bit of self-care.
Establishing boundaries at work
Just as it was suggested above, know your shortcomings at work as well. In most jobs, you will have evaluations. Sometimes these are routine and just gone through quickly without much concern. However, you should pay attention as it allows you to know how others see where you fall short.
Know when to take a break. If you have a desk job, taking short breaks throughout the day to walk or even stand is hugely beneficial for your physical and mental health. If your job is noisy, purchase some earplugs to take a break from the noise. And as tempting as it is sometimes a working lunch is usually not beneficial. This also goes for taking vacation days. If your employer offers vacation days, take them. Even if you do not plan to go anywhere you will not regret having days to focus solely on the reasons why you have a job in the first place.
Establishing boundaries in your relationship
Even if your relationship is going well, boundaries are a way to keep the romance high and the difficulties low. Be vocal about when you need space, especially when it comes to privacy. If you are in an intimate relationship, privacy may seem pointless as you know a lot about that other person. However, we as people still deserve privacy if we want it. Privacy in the bathroom or even just when you need to have personal time to think or journal, your partner should be able to respect that.
It is also okay to let him know what makes you uncomfortable. Maybe his love language is touch and yours is not. It is okay to say, sometimes, especially after a long day, I just need time to sit on my own. You may also want to establish boundaries in certain situations. Perhaps he has a female coworker who wants to grab lunch with him, if it makes you uncomfortable it is better to express your discomfort than going along with it.
The last boundary for relationships is establishing a protocol during or after fights. Seems silly to have ground rules for fights but it will save you and him a lot of unnecessary grief. Some easy ones are no name calling, no raised voices, and allowing a cool off period if wanted before calmly discussing the issue.
Conclusion
Intentional boundaries throughout all aspects of your life are healthy and can help you keep your sanity before you become overwhelmed.