The Book of Boundaries: Set the Limits That Will Set You Free
$16.87
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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER FROM THE CO-FOUNDER OF THE WHOLE30 • End resentment, burnout, and anxiety—and reclaim your time, energy, health, and relationships. New bonus “Parenting Boundaries” chapter included!
“Melissa Urban shows the way forward with clarity, vulnerability, and humor.”—Gretchen Rubin, author of Life in Five Senses
Melissa Urban has helped millions of people transform their relationship with food. Now, in this powerful and practical guide, she shows how boundaries—clear limits you set to protect your energy, time, and health—are the key to feelings of security, confidence, and freedom in every area of your life.
In her famously direct and compassionate style, Urban offers:
• 130+ scripts with language you can use to set boundaries with bosses and co-workers, romantic partners, parents and in-laws, co-parents, friends, family, neighbors, strangers—and yourself
• Actionable advice to help you communicate your needs with clarity and compassion
• Tips for successfully navigating boundary guilt, pushback, pressure, and oversteps
• Techniques to create healthy habits around food, drink, technology, and more
User-friendly and approachable, The Book of Boundaries will give you the tools you need to stop justifying, minimizing, and apologizing, leading you to more rewarding relationships and a life that feels bigger, healthier, and freer.
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Mindful
Publisher : Dial Press Trade Paperback
Publication date : November 14, 2023
Language : English
Print length : 384 pages
ISBN-10 : 0593448723
ISBN-13 : 978-0593448724
Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
Dimensions : 5.25 x 0.75 x 7.85 inches
Isabell –
Mandatory Reading for All My Therapy Clients
he Definitive Guide to Setting Boundaries—Finally, With Actionable Steps!Melissa Urban’s The Book of Boundaries is the Bible for anyone ready to establish and maintain healthy boundaries in their personal and professional life. As a therapist and coach, I recommend this book to all my clients as we begin our journey into understanding and implementing boundaries.What sets Melissa apart from the countless self-help books on this topic is her practical approach. Most personal growth books discuss the importance of boundaries but stop short of providing real, actionable strategies. Not this one! Melissa gives you the exact words to say—offering scripts to help you create, communicate, and enforce boundaries effectively.From navigating difficult family dynamics to setting limits at work and protecting your mental well-being in friendships and relationships, this book is a game-changer. It’s not just theory—it’s a blueprint for self-respect, confidence, and emotional well-being.If you’ve ever struggled with people-pleasing, guilt, or uncertainty around setting limits, The Book of Boundaries will empower you to take control of your life. A must-read for anyone serious about personal growth!I love you for writing this Melissa!
M –
Probably the BEST self help book of 2022; top 10 lifetime
I have an extensive library of self-help books – all related to understanding oneself or others, improving virtually every aspect of life, heavy on various psych theories. I honestly didn’t have high hopes for this book. I’m not an existing follower, though I have received her newsletter for awhile.However, it’s true – when the student is ready, the teacher comes. Despite decades of experience and education, my life lately has been a total mess – all because of a lack of solid boundaries. And then this book came along, and kept popping back up at the most opportune moments (i.e., when I was literally going insane due to boundary violations). So I took the plunge and ordered this book. I could NOT put it down! I read it in 48 hours and was actually going to reread it (but my crazy dog literally chewed it up for unknown reasons so now I’m going to buy another copy – I LOVED IT THAT MUCH!).The author is not a therapist. I usually gravitate towards professional degrees. No! She not only has lived this stuff (I mean, REALLY lived it), but she’s already saved me the time and money of seeking pro advice (cuz she’s done the hard work and learned the therapy lessons already). The writing is excellent. The content is totally relatable (for just about every imaginable situation). It’s well organized and the info is easy to understand and implement. It really is like talking to a good friend. Even if you have some established boundaries, it’s a super reminder for everyone on how to live a decent life (as a decent human being). If your life is already perfect, I doubt you’d be looking into this book (save for gifts!), much less reading this review!Just get this book. You will not be disappointed. It’s very affordable, doesn’t take up much room, and you can always return it if you’re grumpy. Or better yet, donate it so someone else can learn this uber important life skill! Is my life perfect now? Not yet (first one has to determine what their boundaries are), but I feel so much better about the future and comfortable with the knowledge that it can be done (still working out my scripts too). What am I most excited about? My kids are still young enough that I can teach them this skill (cuz yeah, they’re in the “everyone in everyone’s business” generation). You not only learn how to set and hold your own boundaries here…you learn how to be respectful of others’. Win-win-WIN!
Izabella –
Insightful read
This was an interesting read. Definitely recommend this book.
TitaniumGirl –
Everyone should read this book
This is a great book.This should be a college course.It gives great examples of how to handle situations as they arise.An absolute must have for learning about and setting boundaries
carolyn –
Knowledgeable
Great read
J. Gratziano –
Best Boundary Book Ever!
Thank God for this book. When you come from a dysfunctional family boundaries are extremely problematic. I sometimes cannot fathom what on earth I might say to someone and this book delivers with scripts and sound information.I’ve searched far and wide and this is the best boundary book I have ever read. Thank you so much for this book. The other day a coworker used problematic language once again and what flew out of my mouth was some of the ideas in this book. It had lodged itself in my unconscious and came out perfectly. This is how we truly learn a new behavior- through modeling. If you don’t get it as a kid you can get it later from scripts like these.
Cassandra –
excellent handbook on boundaries!
Absolutely eyeopening reading for anyone struggling with time management,low self esteem or confidence,resentment,frustration, people pleasing etc, and perhaps especially anyone who was abused in anyway as a child.Well written and well crafted topics from beginning to the end.Growing up my boundaries were never respected,I never knew I had the right to any.Many years and many often painful lessons later, did I start discovering the magic of saying no and boundaries.This book covers many different topics and options and I particularly enjoyed all the author’s personal experiences and anecdotes of other peoples experiences.Made it all the more relatable.Mostly I realized the boundary I had missed most of all was honoring my own boundaries and not letting myself down.My life has already improved in just a few days as I am far more conscious of myself and others- recognizing their boundaries for what they were, and finally realizing it was Not personal and I could respect them all the more for it.Win win situation all the way round.Highly Recommended for everybody really- the earlier children learn about boundaries the better.Grow up into well adjusted adults with healthy boundaries.
K Macnish –
I enjoyed this – very practical, no-nonsense approach to setting and, more importantly, keeping boundaries.
Rowena Schaufler –
It was a lengthy read unless you enjoy stories and reiteration
siantaylor –
I devoured this book and immediately ordered a copy for a friend. This is the bible, complete with scripts, to get you through every situation where you need a boundary – hint: there are lots of those times. It’s well-written and researched, practical and frankly indispensable.
Catherine O’Keeffe –
This book gives you exact dialogue that is polite and clear for setting boundaries in every conceivable situation. It makes you think of all the possible scenarios as you enter into new relationships and how to communicate so that everyone feels good.
Clarice10 –
This book is absolutely essential for anyone who needs to set boundaries or has never had any. This book will each you how to protect yourself from people who do not respect you and who over step the mark. It will help you set boundaries to protect both your physical and mental health and overall happiness. This book should be taught in schools. Wish I’d read this 25 years ago! Life changing.