Boundaries. Assertiveness.
Communication skills. Attachment styles.
Do you constantly put others ahead of yourself, abandon your own needs, and fall into a cycle of saying “yes” to others? When we say yes to others, we need to make sure we are not saying no to ourselves.
Every relationship is unique. Whether it is a relationship with your romantic partner, coworkers, or friends, balancing and maintaining relationships can be difficult. Everyone brings into a relationship their own unique set of skills, strengths, and gifts. But when life gets harder or overwhelming, relationships can suffer. Communication can dwindle, and hostility, contempt and resentment can grow. In order to thrive, relationships need frequent care and attention. This means taking care of ourselves first before attending to the needs of our partner.
A lack of healthy, satisfying personal relationships can negatively impact our mental health, including putting us at increased risk for loneliness and depression. After all, our relationships make up a significant portion of our lives – the environments from which we live and work impact our mental wellbeing.
Integrating healthy boundaries and communication strategies within our relationships can be a challenge, especially for those who grew up in traumatic, abusive or neglectful environments. Often, we end up in the role of being the emotional caretakers for others, and feel burdened with the responsibility of that role.
Some common symptoms:
- Inability to say no to others
- Constantly neglecting our own needs
- Being the emotional caretaker for others
- Feeling overwhelmed or numb
- Taking on too much responsibility
- Codependency
- Avoidance
- Criticism, disrespect, and resentment
- Lack of trust and emotional safety
