While these examples are primarily focused on boundaries in relationships, I think they can be applied to other things in life. For example, rigid boundaries in workplace could look avoiding a coworker or even a whole department/area of the office (may or may not be from personal experience lollll). It can look like denying yourself help from others, or even being unwilling to help others. With rigid boundaries, there is no contact, limiting all possibility of intimacy or emotional connection or impact. Denying any flow of emotion from other people to you, and also from you to other people. Rigid boundaries can become unhealthy when the lack of emotional connection leads to hyper independence. Hyper independence is the "I have to do everything myself and I don't need anybody else to help me" attitude, which can be unsustainable and lead to resentment, exhaustion, and burnout. *Having rigid boundaries doesn't mean you're "bad" or broken. We may adopt rigid boundaries to avoid people and the way they make us feel, to not allow ourselves to be vulnerable. But we can also adopt them to prevent further harm from an abuser (I.e. going no contact). So if we think of rigid boundaries as unscalable walls and collapsed boundaries the floodgates always being open (nothing to stop the flow of energy coming in or out)…we can think of healthy boundaries as a drawbridge that can be lowered and raised, where the flow of energy is monitored and controlled. Can you identify where you have rigid boundaries in your life? And where healthy boundaries need to be placed instead? === Seeking support in setting healthier boundaries? 🦋Hi, I'm Marisa! I'm a trauma informed life coach with a mission to empower survivors of emotional and mental abuse reclaim their birthright of self love and compassion. Interested in more info? Check out the link in my bio or “coaching” highlight or shoot me a DM!🦋 #rigidboundaries #emotionallydetached #hyperindependence #selfsufficient #ultraindependence #nocontact #avoidantattachment #avoidance #emotionallyunavailable #burnoutprevention #resentment (at San Francisco Bay Area) https://www.instagram.com/p/CNxwMhIDDIa/?igshid=12d0fc0rttrg2
