Self-Care as a Non-Negotiable Boundary

You got the promotion.

You have deadlines.

Everyone expects something from you.

You don’t want to let anyone down.

So…you skip your workout times to get more work done.

You stay up a few hours later to finish the projects.

Before you know it, you are burned out.

You wonder, “Is this the cost of success? Feeling exhausted all the time? Feeling a lack of joy in my life?”

Because let’s face it, you’re checking all of the boxes professionally.

Your manager is pleased with you. Your direct reports are working well together. You’re handed more responsibilities because of how capable you are.

You feel you have to keep up the momentum, otherwise, the world will call you out as a fraud.

People expect more and more of you.

Boundaries seem to be made of vapor— you think they are there and then they dissipate.

Where did it slip away?

It’s the moment you pushed off your self-care to do work that pleased others.

It stripped you of resources and fed them to your Inner Critic.

You can turn this around.

The first step to restoring a sense of balance in your life is to establish self-care as a non-negotiable boundary between you and the universe.

Go ahead and declare it out loud:

“I am going to bed by 9 pm so I can restore my body and mind!”
“I am going to exercise for thirty minutes so I can rejuvenate my energy and become more focused!”
“I am going to attend a yoga class so I can breathe deeply and feel supported.”

Put these times in your calendar and do NOT let anything supersede them.

You are important.

The world needs you.

You need to take care of yourself so you can show up as your highest good.

Taking care of yourself is how you love yourself.

You wouldn’t let anyone get in the way of you loving yourself, right?

So don’t let other people take away your time to practice self-care.

And definitely do NOT give that time away.

Dedicated self-care is a boundary made of fire.

It stokes your inner light and keeps your inner furnace going.

Protect it and start to feel some of your clarity and life force return.

From here, you’ll have a bit more clarity to discover what to delegate, what to say NO to, and what to get off of your plate first.

I’m here if you need help. Reach out.