Setting personal boundaries is a skill that many people have adopted recently as mental health has taken a prominent role in our society. It is a lifestyle that has been popularized through self-help books and support groups since the mid-1980s. 

According to TherapistAid.com, “Boundaries are the limits and rules that people set for themselves in relationships. Someone with healthy boundaries can say “no” when they want to, but they are also comfortable opening themselves up to intimacy and close relationships.” 

Boundaries can be considered like an imaginary line as they are the behaviors that an individual will accept about themself. This can be physical, emotional, sexual, spiritual, financial, time or non-negotiable boundaries. 

Still, self-help is an action many people are starting to take very seriously as they realize, in most cases, it can only be “you” that sets these boundaries and habits. 

Setting boundaries would be considered one of those self-improvement tricks in that it can create a transparent attempt to ensure that you act as you would like to be treated. 

According to Wellnesscenter.uic.edu, “As students, boundaries also help to avoid burnout, stress, and anxiety. It can also help prevent financial and emotional burdens.” 

Students are a prominent group that struggles with setting boundaries due to the implications one can get for saying “yes.” 

“Clout” is a term used mostly in social media, but people can get caught up in it in real life as well because they are determined to impress those around them whom they believe to be important. 

So, how can you set those boundaries to ensure you will not adopt these toxic and unhealthy habits? 

 According to Science of People, the five ways to stay true to your newly set boundaries is to visualize and name your limits, openly communicate your boundaries, reiterate and uphold your boundaries, don’t be afraid to say no, and take time for yourself. 

This can be as simple as setting a daily schedule, talking to your best friends about your new lifestyle, repeatedly taking time to reiterate your boundaries or saying no to that party with your friends.