The Body’s Signals That a Boundary Is Needed
WHOLE SUCCESS WEEKLY #20
It’s the Friday before Christmas, so I won’t be going deep in this newsletter.
What I will share is a realization I’ve been sitting with lately.
I have a complicated relationship with the word boundaries.
Not because I don’t believe in them.
Boundaries are the reason I experience my life with more peace, joy, and presence than ever before.
But when I talk about boundaries, the language can feel… coachy.
And more importantly - most people don’t actually know when they need a boundary.
Very few women are walking around consciously thinking,
“I need better boundaries.”
What is happening is this:
They feel overwhelmed.
Anxious.
Irritable.
Depleted.
They feel it in their body, but they don’t yet know how to read those signals.
So instead of talking about boundaries as a concept, I want to talk about the symptoms.
Because if there’s anything I care more about than breaking free from our own internal cage, it’s helping women get out of their heads and back into their bodies.
The Body’s Signals That a Boundary Is Needed
Your body is always communicating.
We just weren’t taught how to listen.
Here are some of the most common signals that a boundary has been crossed or is asking to be put in place:
Overwhelm: your muscles tense, shoulders creep up, jaw tightens
Anxiety: your breath becomes shallow or restricted
Stress: your heart rate increases, urgency kicks in
Depletion: you feel energetically drained, foggy, or resentful
These are not personality flaws.
They’re nervous system signals.
What This Looks Like in Real Life
An instant spike of irritation when a meeting gets added to your calendar
→ It's not about the meeting. It's a boundary signal.
Your body tightens when someone asks for more access to your time...and you still say yes
→ A boundary was sensed, then overridden.
Calls scheduled outside your protected or blocked work hours
Requests that eat into the only open space in your day
The reflex to say yes before checking capacity
These moments aren’t failures.
They’re green lights.
They’re your body saying, something here needs protection.
Most of us just never learned that this is what boundaries feel like.
No one is technically "bad" at boundaries.
We were just taught to override your body instead of trust it.
And this is exactly why I created the Holiday Boundary Audio Bundle — to help your nervous system feel safe honoring what it needs.
The meditation and mantra work gently retrain your system so boundaries stop feeling selfish, scary, or loaded and start feeling natural.
If it feels supportive, you can access the free Holiday Audio Bundle while it’s still available here.
Wishing you a peaceful, spacious end to the year.
May your body feel listened to.
May your energy feel protected.
With love...always,
Jessica