Maintaining Your Fences: The Art of Healthy Boundaries [episode 67]
Listen to Maintaining Your Fences: The Art of Healthy Boundaries on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | your platform of choice
Healthy boundaries are essential for protecting ourselves and our relationships, but unhealthy boundaries can isolate us and keep us from facing reality. I talked about why boundaries can be one of the kindest things we do for ourselves in episode 36 (you can listen here if you haven’t or if you need a refresher). I want to build on this concept a bit more and dive deeper into WHY healthy boundaries are super important!
In today’s episode, I’m talking about the process of maintaining your fences and the art of healthy boundaries. My favorite analogy to use in regard to boundaries is fences. We have a variety of fences we use on the ranch, and they all serve a different purpose.
Just like fences can be permanent, adjustable, or even temporary, the same is true for boundaries. Sometimes boundaries need to be unyielding and unwilling to budge, while others need to be a bit more flexible or temporary, depending on the season of life you’re in.
Boundaries should always have a purpose. Maybe you decide to put a boundary in place to protect yourself from harm (i.e., a toxic relationship you need to stay away from). But maybe you create a boundary in order to AVOID something. Rather than getting to the root cause and fixing the issue, it feels easier and safer to avoid the difficulty you don’t want to face.
Maintaining healthy boundaries (just like you maintain fences on the ranch) is crucial. They are meant to guide, protect, and create space for growth. I want you to reflect on the types of boundaries you are keeping in your life – are they helping you or hindering you?
You have to be intentional about how you build and maintain boundaries so they truly serve you and your relationships well!
In this episode, Maintaining Your Fences: The Art of Healthy Boundaries, I cover:
- Different types of fences in relation to boundaries
- Why the purpose of boundaries can be both helpful AND harmful
- Questions to ask yourself when setting boundaries
- What it looks like to maintain healthy boundaries
Resources & Links:
- Learn more and see if 1:1 Good Movement Guidance is right for you
- Join the waitlist for the Good Movement Collective
- Good Movement music by: Aaron Espe
- Podcast produced by: Jill Carr Podcasting
Connect with Terryn:
- Follow on Instagram @terryn.drieling
- Check out my website
- Send me an email at terryn@terryndrieling.com
Related Episodes:
- Episode 36: Boundaries Are Kind
- Episode 40: Knowing When to Set a Boundary with Sheila Hansen
More about the Good Movement Draws Good Movement podcast:
In stockmanship (the art and science of handling cattle in a safe, effective, low-stress manner), we have this phrase . . . good movement draws good movement.
It’s this thing that happens when we ask a small group of cattle, maybe a cow, or a pair to move out in a certain direction and their movement draws the whole herd into moving in the same direction.
Good movement happens when we approach the cattle with a positive attitude, read and really listen to what they’re telling us, and communicate accordingly.
We don’t approach the aware, flighty cattle the same as we do the tame, docile cattle. We adjust ourselves, our energy, and approach, and communicate with each differently.
These adjustments help us effectively draw good movement from each, which then draws good movement from the herd. But it starts with us.
The same is true for humans. Good movement starts with us.
Welcome to Good Movement Draws Good Movement, the podcast where farmers, ranchers, and rural folks can grow relationally through awareness, understanding, and effective communication.
Hey, it’s me – T. I’m your host, and I, along with my guests, will be covering topics related to drawing good movement – things like self and social awareness, brain science, positive psychology, extending grace, and so much more.
We’ll share tools that can help you understand why you are the way you are, why others are the way they are, and how you can use that to step out of self-told lies with grace and compassion to draw good movement in conversations, relationships, and life in rural America.
Tune in every Tuesday and make sure to hit subscribe so you never miss an episode! Let’s go draw good movement!
