Propounding yourself to relatives can be one of the most challenging situations many people face in their adult life. Setting limits with your parents, siblings and other relatives can actually empower you, lead to higher self-esteem, and help you live a more fulfilling life overall. It might be awkward, weird, and in some cases, the family can be resistant to the changes you implement. As disconcerting as it sounds, standing up for yourself is something you have to handle, especially when you have all the signs that it’s way past time to start setting better boundaries with your family.
1. Your family impacts your decision-making abilities.
However, trusting yourself to make decisions instead of seeking advice can help you to become more balanced and independent. Too much reliance on your relatives to help you decide things like what job you should take or where you should live could leave you feeling like you don’t have a say in the direction of your own life.
Similarly, giving in to pressure to comply with what your family feels is best for you is a sign that you should work on establishing some healthy limits to assure everyone involved that you are capable of handling situations on your own.
2. You put them before everyone else; even yourself.
It’s great to be known as a dependable person until your reputation for being reliable starts to take a personal toll. When you say yes to everything your relatives ask of you; even when constant compliance causes you to suffer you can get caught up in a hurly-burly of family dynamics that ultimately show unconcealed disregard for your own well-being.
3.They are interfering with your relationship.
Before the excitement can wear off, your well-meaning relatives begin to interfere in your relationship by asking pushy questions about your dating life or making comments about your partner that create doubt in your mind. Things can get really uncomfortable between you and your partner, and you might even slowly begin to agree with a tiny voice inside that tells you that this may have been avoided if you had set more strict boundaries with your family.
4.You feel manipulated by them.
We tend to automatically want to paint family in the best light, but sometimes those closest to us can find ways to take advantage of our kindness. When your relatives constantly use guilt trips and other manipulation tactics to convince you to do something you’re not comfortable with, it’s time to assert yourself with difficult family members in order to avoid resentment and an overall unhappiness that comes with constantly sacrificing your needs for the sake of others.
5.You can’t separate your beliefs and values from theirs.
As an adult, the group thinks the approach to life feels stifling and holds you back from being your authentic self.
But think about it: Do you really want to tip-toe through the rest of your life, not exploring your personal interests because someone else deems them invaluable? Putting parameters in place with relatives is the perfect place to start getting your needs met.
Comments
Post a Comment