Growing up, boundaries were hedges and fences—things outside of me that marked where the world ended, not where I began.

I never learned that I was allowed internal boundaries, or that I could choose what I let in and what I kept out.

For most of my life, saying no felt wrong.

I overworked to meet expectations and prove I was enough.

Rest felt indulgent. Self‑protection felt selfish.

Only recently have I learned the power of setting boundaries from the inside out—to say no without guilt, to pause before I overextend, to notice burnout and choose myself.

It turns out boundaries aren’t walls at all, but a way of honouring my energy, my needs, and my truth.