Set boundaries like a champion: Lessons to learn from Naomi Osaka on the importance of setting boundaries.
Earlier this week, Naomi Osaka dropped out of the French Open. This powerful move was made after she fearlessly declined to attend media interviews due to mental health reasons, citing that she experienced anxiety when attending press conferences and had been struggling with bouts of depression since the 2018 U.S. Open.
This move was powerful and helped display the importance of setting boundaries as the foundation of your mental health routine. Read on for four quick lessons Naomi Osaka taught us this week on the importance of setting boundaries and prioritizing your mental health above all else.
Protect Your Peace
The foundation of self-care and the number one rule is to protect your peace. Protecting your peace simply means maintaining a healthy environment for growth and also guarding your emotional state.
This requires you to make intentional choices to allow and block people, actions, and behaviors that do not improve your overall mental health and self-care.
Limit Access
When setting boundaries, there are so many distractions and things that happen in the world that can affect how we feel and our state of mind. So when your mental health is questioned or your boundaries are not respected, the next step is to limit access to you.
This can be displayed by saying, "No" or Like Naomi Osaka, refusing to answer, or entertain certain things or people.
Remember, boundaries can be guidelines or limits and limiting access will help keep us protected, safe, and healthy.
Set Boundaries Without Apologizing
When setting boundaries, you will quickly learn everyone has their own opinion, experience and take on them.
Please remember, a boundary is not bad, taboo, or aggressive. On the contrary, it is an empowering and healthy way to set up relationships for success, mutual respect, and fulfillment.
The Power is Yours
Overall, setting boundaries is a reminder that you, and you alone, have the power to change your current situation and to improve your mental health.
Let Naomi Osaka be a powerful reminder that you can improve your situation by setting your own terms. Despite the inevitable backlash, it is part of growing up and establishing boundaries.
Being a responsible adult requires us to make choices that are in our own best interest, even when they unpleasant in the moment.
How will you put self-care into action by setting boundaries for yourself?
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