If you talk to anyone that knows me on a personal level really well, they will tell you I am all. about. boundaries (insert that clapping emoji for emphasis).

I lived a good chunk of my life without boundaries and when I discovered the power boundaries had to help me shape interactions and develop relationships in the way I wanted, I dove in head first. 

In case you haven't had the same experience with boundaries that I have, let's talk really quick about what they are and how they benefit us as individuals. 

Boundaries are limits on what we deem acceptable and welcomed in a variety of different areas of our lives. If you are unfamiliar with the concept of boundaries, a great place to start is a book called Boundaries by Cloud and Townsend. I highly recommend it for literally everyone. You can grab your copy here through my affiliate link (which supports the creation of content like this). 

In this post, I want to focus in on personal boundaries. Personal...

As mask-wearing has become more and more part of our lives over the past 7 months, you may have realized that mask-wearing is something that requires adjustment. Different people have different reactions.

Perhaps you have felt like it's difficult to breathe. Perhaps you  feel a bit irritable when you have to wear a mask. Maybe you sweat! I know it's something I've had to adjust to. And while I understand the reason for mask-wearing, I don't like it. I do it because I understand the consequences of not mask-wearing. Consequences could include getting the virus, not being allowed to enter a business, or in some cases being fined, depending on where you live. 

Now imagine you're a kid who is having to adjust to wearing a mask. You don't really understand why you need to wear it and it doesn't feel good.

What do you do?

You throw that mask off like it's a hot potato!

Then the adult in your life gets upset and either tries to put it back on you or tells you to put it...

As a child safety professional and coach, I often get asked how I can do the work I do and not have constant anxiety about all the awful things happening in the world. If I said I was unaffected I would be lying. I think often about my son's safety and about all the children I read reports about. In the past it gave me bouts of intense anxiety and sometimes depression. 

As a practitioner, I engage in reflective practices with a therapist to help me process and learn strategies to cope with the space this work takes up in my mind and heart. Through that work I've learned a few techniques that I find extremely helpful for parents struggling with anxiety about safety. 

In the recorded online training below, I discussed some of my favorite ways to manage anxiety surrounding child safety.