5 Effective Ways To Set Boundaries As An Introvert

Setting boundaries is an important skill that every introvert should possess as boundaries play a key role in helping us protect and conserve our energy. It also helps prevent people and other situations from manipulating ,offending us, and violating our privacy. And it takes some practice to master setting and imposing limits.

For introverts, setting boundaries can be absolutely vital to maintaining a happy, healthy life and protecting our downtime. Introverts can often feel pressure to conform to external expectations that most of society often consider "normal." This will allow you to recharge effectively, give your energy purposefully, and be able to be your best self on a daily basis

Setting healthy boundaries not only gives you the mental and physical space you need, but it can also improve the quality of time you invest in every area of ​​your life. 

These five tips will help you start setting your boundaries:

1- Get used to Say “no” 

This is especially true in the early days of the new frontier. It will take time for people to get used to your limitations. For this reason, it is especially important that you stick to your limits and enforce them early on. At this point, you are working to change people's expectations. Once they get used to your new limits and don't expect you to cross them, they won't demand to cross those limits as much. And when they ask you, it will probably be because of a more urgent need, and it will be known and proven to be a one-time thing.

If you don't take your boundaries seriously and protect your time, no one else will either. So if a co-worker asks you to stay up late for something that isn't urgent or isn't really your responsibility, say no. 

2-Set "me" time to rest and relax so you can recharge. 

You should intentionally block time on your calendar for personal rest and relaxation. Work can leave you drained at the beginning and end of the work week, so you should have your own time reading, watching Netflix, and taking long walks in town with your dog, giving you a great introverted time.

3. Know when to be flexible.

Sometimes, it is important to bend the limits. Friends really need you. A business crisis occurs. The once-in-a-lifetime events pop up. Ideally, the fact that boundaries are in place will mean that you will have a little extra energy to get through these flexible periods when you need to. 

But it is also important to do so only when absolutely necessary, to do so moderately , and (if there is any doubt) to let us know that this is a special circumstance and not a new normal.

It's also best to avoid flexing those boundaries in the first 21-30 days of a new boundaries. Experts say it takes 21 days to form a habit, so until your new limits become a habit for you and everyone else involved, do your best to avoid exceptions.

Related Article : The 4 Types of Introvert: Which Are You? 

4- Have an escape in place.

If you are an introvert person, setting clear boundaries and a schedule can help you conserve your energy. However, you are likely to get stuck in difficult situations that can be difficult to navigate, and you may find yourself drained as a result.

Michael Als, M.D., a clinical psychologist and mental health coordinator at the Manhattan School of Music, said " that you can have an "escape plan" ready when you're in an uncomfortable situation. "Sometimes it really helps to have some 'emergency recharge introvert tricks' that you can use without saying anything."
"Going for a bathroom break, getting some fresh air, or even slipping away for a few minutes while friends call, can help give you the refreshing time you need to take care of yourself."

5-Let's go of guilt.

It can be very easy to feel guilty - especially at first. You may feel like you are letting people down or being selfish. Protecting your energy is never selfish. This is what it means for an introvert to take care of themselves.

Any boundaries that protect your time and energy are not selfish; It is a necessity. Anyone in your life who cares about you should understand and respect that. And if they don't, you really shouldn't feel guilty. Instead, you may want to wonder if they really should be in your life or if they ever get your time or energy.

Read Also: 6 Ways To Set Boundaries With A Toxic Person