In a constantly moving and ever more busy world, the demands placed on us by ourselves and the other people in our lives can often feel overwhelming and more than a little stressful. We sometimes tend to forget to take time out for ourselves to reflect on the things that are actually most important to us and to think about how we can more effectively 'protect' our own time without feeling guilty or that we are being uncaring towards others.

Boundaries are the things that we establish to protect ourselves and keep ourselves safe; they also help us to tell others how we would like to be treated, and how we will treat other people. They are not necessarily the big, heavy metaphorical walls that we build to keep people out; rather the clear and simple guidelines that help us better navigate the complex relationships that surround us all o…