BUILDING BOUNDARIES, NOT WALLS

Sometimes it’s difficult to know when to express your emotions to others, but you can learn to meet your needs without overwhelming your family, coworkers, or friends. Having healthy boundaries means knowing where your limits are. For example, you might not want to divulge your personal life to a coworker or a new friend. It’s important to step back and look at your needs in every relationship. What do your boundary walls look like? BENEFITS: Develops coping skills and emotional regulation

MATERIALS: Assorted markers 1 sheet of 18-by-24-inch heavy-weight drawing paper Assorted printed paper (newspapers, wrapping paper, designed paper) Scissors Glue

STEPS:

1.Take 30 minutes to identify the limits on where you feel comfortable with the people in your life on physical, emotional, and spiritual levels.

2.Give yourself permission to say no. 3.With the markers, draw yourself in the middle of the paper.

4.Glue the assorted papers around your portrait to create a healthy boundary wall.

boundaries for, and draw them outside your healthy boundaries wall.

5. Identify one person you need to establish boundaries for, and draw them outside your healthy boundaries wall.

Reflection: ·Do you have any walls between you and your friends, coworkers, romantic partners, or children? Are there any walls that prevent you from nurturing yourself? ·How big are your walls? Are your walls so tall that no one can get in?

·How can you create healthy boundaries in order to express your feelings? Is there anything in your life that you would like to say “no” to?