Tips & Tricks: 7 Reasons to Self-Protect

Here at ANSHI, we are all about healthy and conscious living. Often times, we forget to protect the one person who needs it the most - yourself. Why do we need protection? Because no one else is going to look out for our mental and physical wellbeing the way we need to. In order to have space to give to others, we need to define what is (and isn't!) acceptable in our lives.

We wanted to share some quick and easy ways you can practice setting boundaries in a way that aids living consciously and fully. Being mindful of how a certain person or situation makes you feel is crucial to setting and enforcing boundaries of self-protection. In that simple moment of mindfulness lies the real power to push and pull attention and control.

Here are some quick tips:

1. Identify your own boundaries

• Your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual limits.

2. Get in touch with your emotions

• What makes you feel good? What causes you discomfort and resentment?

3. Practice self-awareness

• Focus on your feelings and honor them.  Ask yourself, “Who or what is making me feel this way? What am I going to do about the situation? What do I have control over?” 

4. Honor your past feelings and your current needs

• Realize that the good and bad experiences from your past shaped you into the wonderful human you are today! Also, what was good for you back then may not be good anymore, so always check in with yourself.

5. Put yourself first (self-care is not selfish)

• Make taking care of yourself priority #1. Be direct and assertive with your boundaries. Remember, how can you take care of anyone else if you can’t take care of YOU?

6. Talk with someone who holds you accountable

• This one is so important if you have difficulty setting boundaries. Seeking support can make boundaries stick.

7. Start small

• Setting all these boundaries can be quite daunting...but by starting small and setting just one boundary today, years from now setting boundaries will be second nature.