Boundaries Quotes

Did you know that reading and memorizing boundary quotes can help motivate yourself to establish and maintain your personal, healthy boundaries?

That's why quotes are so such powerful uses of language.

Before we get to the quotes, let’s take a step back.

Boundaries are vital for your health, happiness, and overall outlook on life. If you don’t set boundaries in areas of your life and don’t communicate them clearly, you run the risk of people taking control of your life.

Where does the lack of boundaries come from? It could be anything from healing with unmet needs as a child or your attachment style.

Previous traumatic experiences or life-changing events (like a new job or a long-distance relationship) can also lead you to develop a lack of boundaries.

Establishing boundaries without hurting other people’s feelings can be difficult. But it is crucial to do it in a way that sets yourself up for success. Ultimately, it’s up to others to respect your boundaries and not try to overstep them.

To prove that setting healthy boundaries is crucial for your life and well-being, we will turn to some of the most inspiring, motivational, and heart-pulling quotes about boundaries from some of the brightest minds in the business.

And at the same time, use them to explain in greater detail:

• What boundaries are.
• Why it’s essential to set them in your life.
• And how to set up your boundaries.

Quotes About Boundaries

“Your boundaries are essentially the imagery line that separates you from others, and it’s specifically your feelings, your needs, and your personal reality.” – Thais Gibson

What are healthy boundaries in the first place?

Think of them as “defined as the art of tuning into yourself and your needs in the presence of others”. As Thais said above, it’s a line that separates you from others.

There are several types of boundaries:

• Thought (how and what you think)
• Emotional (protecting your emotional well-being)
• Physical (showing or inviting affection)
• Material (what and how personal items or property are being used)
• Time (how your time is being used or misused)
• Sexual (your sexual needs and safety)

These boundaries can be set in various areas in your life, including:

• Romantic relationships.
• With family.
• With friends.
• At work.

Anytime you interact with someone, you invite the opportunity for your boundaries to be overstepped.

That’s why it’s important to have boundaries and to communicate them so that no one can violate them.

If you don’t believe us, consider these boundaries quotes from some of the best minds on health and well-being:

"Boundaries define us. They define what is me and what is not me. A boundary shows me where I end, and someone else begins, leading me to a sense of ownership. Knowing what I am to own and take responsibility for gives me freedom." – Henry Cloud (Acclaimed Leadership Expert and Best-Selling Author)

“Our boundaries define our personal space – and we need to be sovereign there in order to be able to step into our full power and potential.” – Jessica Moore (Author and Literary Translator)

“The more you value yourself, the healthier your boundaries are.” – Lorraine Nilon (Author)

“Boundaries are, in simple terms, the recognition of personal space.” – Asa Don Brown (Author)

"Boundaries are a part of self-care. They are healthy, normal and necessary." - Doreen Virtue (Author)

“Healthy boundaries are not walls. They are gates and fences that allow you to enjoy the beauty of your own garden.” – Lydia Hall (Nurse Innovator)

“Once you see the boundaries of your environment, they are no longer the boundaries of your environment.” – Marshall McLuhan (Canadian Philosopher)

Quotes About Setting Boundaries

“This is one of the most important things you can do, period, in your relationships, your working relationships, your romantic partnerships, your family relationships. It is so important for the overall health and well-being to have boundaries and express your truth.” – Thais Gibson

Setting boundaries is essential for your self-care, self-confidence, and self-respect. If you allow people – from any walk of life – to cross your limits, you’ll lose yourself and what makes you unique.

Boundaries allow you to define who you are, your needs, and, most importantly, how to get those needs.

You’ll learn to stand your ground (and build your self-respect), avoid conflicts in the future due to setting up walls, and establish to others what happens if those boundaries are violated.

They will help you express your thoughts and feelings in a way that feels appropriate to you while not impacting others. Your boundaries establish the rules for the people around you.

Family, friends, partners, and even coworkers might think you’re using avoidance to not interact with them, so they must learn how to behave around you, what you will and won’t accept, and how you want to be treated.

Let’s look at what some quotes on boundaries from some of the best brains in the business:

“When we fail to set boundaries and hold people accountable, we feel used and mistreated. This is why we sometimes attack who they are, which is far more hurtful than addressing a behavior or a choice." – Brené Brown (Professor & Writer)

“If someone thinks you’re being dramatic or selfish, then they obviously haven’t walked a mile in your shoes. It’s not important for you to explain yourself. You get a pass here. Don’t let anyone else try to saddle you with guilt or shame. If you need your space, take it.” – Sarah Newman (Author)

“Setting a boundary” means protecting your joy and well-being by telling someone to stop a harmful behavior. Practice setting a boundary by saying: “I can’t let you x. I need y.” – Lauren Martin (Author)

"Boundary setting helps you prioritize your needs over other people's wants." – Lauren Kenson (Healthy Coach)

“If someone gets mad at you for creating a boundary, consider that a good sign that the boundary was necessary.” –Jenna Korf (Author)

“We need to have a talk on the subject of what's yours and what's mine.” – Stieg Larsson (Author)

“The hardest part about setting boundaries with people, no matter who they are, is not feeling confident in our authority to do so. As long as you realize that setting boundaries is necessary for healthy relationships, you will feel better defining and keeping them.” – Tamera Mowry-Housley (Actress & TV Personality)

Quotes About How to Set Boundaries

“The art of setting boundaries is the art of taking ourselves into consideration when making our decisions.” – Thais Gibson

“Boundaries are important for personal growth, as they create space for self-discovery and self-care.” – Elizabeth Gilbert (Author)

“Be honest with who you are, what you want, and how you want to be treated. Boundaries only scare off the people that were not meant to be in your life.” – Shannon L. Alde (Author)

“Love yourself enough to set boundaries. Your time and energy are precious. You get to choose how to use it. You teach people how to treat you by deciding what you will and won’t accept.” – Anna Taylor (Author)

"I swear to God, the second I learned how to say 'no,' I felt that was the best anti-aging I could do for myself." – Gabrielle Union (Actress)

“Do not justify, apologize for, or rationalize the healthy boundary you are setting. Do not argue. Just set the boundary calmly, firmly, clearly, and respectfully.” – Crystal Andrus (Author)

_ “Create boundaries. Honor your limits. Say no. Take a break. Let go. Stay grounded. Nurture your body. Love your vulnerability. And if all else fails, breathe deeply.”_ – Aletheia Luna (Author)

“Evaluate the people in your life. It’s time to promote, demote, or terminate. You are the CEO of your life.” – Tony Gaskins (Motivational Speaker & Author)

What do all these quotes about setting boundaries suggest? Setting up boundaries can be the best thing for yourself and your relationships.

So, how do you set healthy boundaries?

6 Ways to Set Up Boundaries

Here’s how you can do it (thanks to the great techniques from the Setting Boundaries to End Compulsive People Pleasing course).

1) Establish where you need to set boundaries in your life.

Check in with each of the seven areas of your life (Career, Financial, Mental, Emotional, Physical, Spiritual, and Relationship). See which areas you allow your boundaries to be crossed and which areas you have firm walls up. Write them down on a piece of paper.

Then, next to them, write a preferred boundary you would like to set in each area. This way, you know which areas of your life you are lacking in boundaries or potentially violating your own boundaries on autopilot.

Establishing boundaries ahead of time is one of the most important things to help you end people pleasing, honor your true self, and create deeper connections with people.

2) Identify the fears behind not setting boundaries.

Your lack of ability to set boundaries is due to your fears about establishing them. How can you set healthy walls around you if you don’t know why you can’t do it in the first place?

Consider why you’re not setting boundaries in each area of your life, assigning a fear to it (abandonment, etc.). This way, you can bring self-awareness to the subconscious fears associated with setting boundaries so you can consciously communicate about them.

3) Rate how strongly this fear impacts you.

This exercise aims to identify the core fears and belief patterns you have that make you afraid to set boundaries.

Consider the fears you listed above, and next to each belief, rate from 1-10 how strongly this fear impacts you to make boundaries.

4) Reprogram your fears.

Reprogramming is one of the most powerful ways to "reframe" the fears stopping you from changing your life. And the only way to utilize reprogramming is to challenge your current concerns with the opposite evidence to counteract them.

So, write out the fear-based belief you want to break. Then, to challenge these negative beliefs, write a cognitive re-frame and five pieces of evidence to support it.

This exercise will allow you to truly see the importance of boundaries and create the freedom to act within your boundaries.

5) Identify your boundaries.

This is a step-by-step process to identify your boundaries. You can use this in real-time if you feel a boundary is being violated. Here are the steps:

• Identify the feeling behind an event (e.g., Your boss put you down for not finishing a project).
• Explain why it hurt you (e.g., It felt like he crossed the line)
• List down what you needed instead (e.g., I would have liked him to offer constructive feedback)
• Express or negotiate it. Write the way you would want to express or negotiate this boundary. (e.g., I would tell him I prefer feedback rather than criticism)

You can also use this to reflect on previous boundary violations and use this way to help you communicate your needs.

6) Communicate your boundaries.

Now that you know what your boundaries are (and how to overcome the fears stopping you from setting them), it’s time to explain them to your friends, family, partner, or workplace.

Using the steps below, write how you would communicate your boundaries.

Tailor this to your needs and situation; don’t be afraid to come back and tweak your approach if/when needed.

• Validate the other person’s sponsoring intentions.
• Say your boundary.
• Explain your reasons behind it.
• Thank them for listening to you.

Using these exercises repeatedly allows you to establish boundaries in all areas of your life and feel happier with yourself and others.

It can be challenging, but it’s the best way to set yourself up for life. If you are interested in learning more about boundaries, consider taking a look at our Membership options.

Most importantly, we hope that these boundary quotes motivate you to set your own, so you live the life you want!

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