Healthy Boundaries Worksheet
This worksheet is designed to help you prayerfully identify, name, and practice healthy boundaries that protect your emotional, spiritual, relational, and physical well‑being.
1. Boundary Check‑In: Where Am I Right Now?
Note what resonates most right now.
I often feel overextended or depleted
I feel guilty when I say no
I’m available to others but rarely to myself
I carry unspoken resentment
I feel pressure to be an example rather than a human
I’m not sure what my limits actually are
Reflection:
What emotions come up as you read this list?
What feels hardest to admit?
2. Identify Your Common Boundary Stressors
Which of these areas most often test your limits? (Check all that apply.)
Church members’ expectations
Last‑minute ministry needs
Emotional caretaking of others
Protecting family time
Social media or constant accessibility
Supporting my spouse while neglecting myself
Financial or volunteer pressure
Crisis expectations (being “on call”)
Reflection:
Which stressors feel assumed rather than explicitly asked of you?
3. Naming Your Limits (Without Shame)
Finish the following sentences honestly:
Right now, I realistically have the capacity for ________________________
I do not have the capacity for ________________________
When I ignore my limits, it usually costs me ________________________
Reminder: Limits are not failures. They are wisdom.
4. Values‑Based Boundaries
Healthy boundaries flow from what matters most.
Top 3 values I want my boundaries to protect:
Reflection:
How do my current boundaries support or sabotage these values?
5. Common Boundary Myths to Gently Release
Check any that feel familiar:
“Good ministry means always being available.”
“If I don’t do it, it won’t get done right.”
“Saying no is selfish.”
“People will be disappointed in me.”
“God expects me to say yes.”
Truth Reframe:
God invites you into faithful stewardship, not exhaustion.
6. Boundary Statements You Can Practice
Write or adapt a few phrases that feel both kind and clear.
“I’m not able to take that on right now.”
“That doesn’t work for our family in this season.”
“Let me pray about it and get back to you.”
“I can help in a different way.”
My own words:
7. Guilt vs. Conviction Discernment
Ask yourself:
Is this guilt driven by fear of others’ reactions?
Or is this conviction aligned with God’s invitation?
Reflection:
When I say yes out of guilt, what do I lose?
When I say yes out of calling, what fruit do I see?
8. One Boundary I’m Practicing This Month
Be specific and realistic.
My boundary:
Where I will practice it:
Who might need to hear it:
Support I need (person, prayer, counseling, rest):
9. Prayer for Strength & Freedom
Lord, You see my heart, my calling, and my limits. Help me steward all three with grace. Give me courage to say no when needed, wisdom to know when to say yes, and freedom from guilt that You never placed on me. Teach me to rest without fear and serve without losing myself. Amen.
Gentle Invitation
If boundary‑setting feels confusing, emotionally loaded, or impossible to maintain, you don’t have to navigate it alone. Counseling can be a safe place to untangle expectations, heal burnout, and rebuild clarity—without judgment.
You are allowed to be human and holy at the same time.
