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Personal Boundaries for Highly Sensitive People: A Simple Practice for Self-Care in Moments of Conflict
Stay Afloat When They’re Rocking Your Boat
Do you avoid interactions because disconnecting feels safer and easier?
Do you get overwhelmed when you try to interact with certain people?
Do you hide your true self in case people don’t like who you really are?
Instead of closing up and closing off, use the simple steps in Personal Boundaries for Highly Sensitive People to practice the empowerment of feeling authentic and connected.
When the people around you make waves with overwhelming personalities, expectations, or communication styles—personal boundaries come to the rescue. This handy mini-manual offers a concise system for developing boundary skills so they pop to the surface like a life-preserver in the moments they’re needed.
Author and writing coach Grace Kerina is known for her gentle and warm-hearted teaching style. For decades, Kerina has helped writers and other creators develop personal boundaries to protect and empower their natural gifts. Personal Boundaries for Highly Sensitive People distills the process of self-acceptance while relating to others into 9 Steadying Points.
Learn how
spot red flags in the moment so you don’t get blindsided;respond honestly and safely when pressured to conform;refocus to reduce overwhelm;explore options at a pace that works for you;make holding your boundaries more automatic;... and more.
Don’t wait for your boat to be capsized. Grab Personal Boundaries for Highly Sensitive People now and learn how to sit steady in your own boat so you’re ready the next time people around you start making waves.
Do you avoid interactions because disconnecting feels safer and easier?
Do you get overwhelmed when you try to interact with certain people?
Do you hide your true self in case people don’t like who you really are?
Instead of closing up and closing off, use the simple steps in Personal Boundaries for Highly Sensitive People to practice the empowerment of feeling authentic and connected.
When the people around you make waves with overwhelming personalities, expectations, or communication styles—personal boundaries come to the rescue. This handy mini-manual offers a concise system for developing boundary skills so they pop to the surface like a life-preserver in the moments they’re needed.
Author and writing coach Grace Kerina is known for her gentle and warm-hearted teaching style. For decades, Kerina has helped writers and other creators develop personal boundaries to protect and empower their natural gifts. Personal Boundaries for Highly Sensitive People distills the process of self-acceptance while relating to others into 9 Steadying Points.
Learn how
spot red flags in the moment so you don’t get blindsided;respond honestly and safely when pressured to conform;refocus to reduce overwhelm;explore options at a pace that works for you;make holding your boundaries more automatic;... and more.
Don’t wait for your boat to be capsized. Grab Personal Boundaries for Highly Sensitive People now and learn how to sit steady in your own boat so you’re ready the next time people around you start making waves.
- GenresNonfiction
56 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 23, 2022
107 people are currently reading
103 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
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April 27, 2023Gets to the heart of how to set boundaries!
This is a short yet insightful book that gets to the heart of how to set boundaries. I have read a lot of books on boundaries, several of them really helpful. But once I’d figured out what my boundaries needed to be, ACTUALLY setting them was a whole another problem.
If you identify with being a highly sensitive person or an introverted feeler type, you’ve probably had many moments in your life where you knew what limit you wanted to set, but then, you froze in the moment. Or you felt overwhelmed by someone who was pushy. Or intimidated by someone who raised their voice and drowned out yours.
I think teaching us how to navigate these situations & how to break the freeze response is the game-changing aspect of this book! It takes you step-by-step through what you need to do to navigate your own self & to get some breathing room when others are pushing you.
I really enjoyed this practical, quick read. Instead of being an overwhelming amount of information, it felt like a distilled essence of what I need to do to set boundaries everyday.
I think anyone who is looking for pragmatic ways to shift things in their lives & learn how to say no will really love this book!
This is a short yet insightful book that gets to the heart of how to set boundaries. I have read a lot of books on boundaries, several of them really helpful. But once I’d figured out what my boundaries needed to be, ACTUALLY setting them was a whole another problem.
If you identify with being a highly sensitive person or an introverted feeler type, you’ve probably had many moments in your life where you knew what limit you wanted to set, but then, you froze in the moment. Or you felt overwhelmed by someone who was pushy. Or intimidated by someone who raised their voice and drowned out yours.
I think teaching us how to navigate these situations & how to break the freeze response is the game-changing aspect of this book! It takes you step-by-step through what you need to do to navigate your own self & to get some breathing room when others are pushing you.
I really enjoyed this practical, quick read. Instead of being an overwhelming amount of information, it felt like a distilled essence of what I need to do to set boundaries everyday.
I think anyone who is looking for pragmatic ways to shift things in their lives & learn how to say no will really love this book!
January 18, 2023
I've always struggled with boundaries (and only realised it a couple of years ago) and am learning how to find out where my boundaries are and how to defend them, so when I came across this book I was immediately interested. For a complete novice, and someone who's always been "too sensitive", it's pitched exactly right. Very compassionate, encouraging and gentle tone, set out in baby steps which is exactly what I need. And reminding me to always treat myself with kindness even when I don't get it right!
I've only just read this but I can see it being really useful in practice. Almost looking forward to being in a situation where I need to try it out!
I've only just read this but I can see it being really useful in practice. Almost looking forward to being in a situation where I need to try it out!
October 5, 2024
When I hear about boundaries everything in me wants to run and hide. This book got my attention by the beautiful cover and the nuanced description.
Such a comforting, to the point and short book on boundaries. I especially appreciated the gentle tone of voice whereby the words came to me. This is a book I will get back to in the future again and again.
If you got an icky feeling about boundaries and you’re secretly curious to learn in a gentle way about it; pick up this book, it won’t disappoint you.
Such a comforting, to the point and short book on boundaries. I especially appreciated the gentle tone of voice whereby the words came to me. This is a book I will get back to in the future again and again.
If you got an icky feeling about boundaries and you’re secretly curious to learn in a gentle way about it; pick up this book, it won’t disappoint you.
January 26, 2023
WOW
Grace thank you so much. This is incredible and so right on. I can’t wait for the party dock. Thanks
Grace thank you so much. This is incredible and so right on. I can’t wait for the party dock. Thanks
January 1, 2023
Holy wow, this little book on boundaries completely rocked my world! As someone who has struggled with boundaries my entire life (and read more than my fair share of books on how to correct that situation) I have never read a book so thorough, concise, and extraordinarily easy to understand as this one. I wish I had found this book 30 years ago, as it would have made my whole life much easier.
There are many great things about this book, but I think one of the main keys that makes it so incredibly effective is that the author understands that when you are a Highly Sensitive Person, and your boundaries are being violated, you are in no place to participate in any kind of clear thinking. That’s why so much information on boundaries has never worked for me before. In the moment of reading the information, I rationally understand it and intellectually grasp how to apply it to real-life situations. However, when the real-life situation actually occurs, I freeze up, turn into a deer in the headlights, and my mind goes utterly blank. So all that complex information I learned just goes out the window. That’s the magic of this book though, it’s SIMPLE. It’s designed in such a way that even when you’re having a deer-in-the-headlights kind of moment, you can still calm down, orient yourself, and actually remember the key points that you learned in the book. There’s even a handy guide included in the back that you can cut out and save as a physical copy in your wallet, or bookmark online and reference on your phone when you need it (for instance, if you’re at a family gathering or in a work situation).
This book is absolutely genius and I highly recommend it to anyone who is Highly Sensitive, or considers themselves an INFJ or INFP personality type, an introvert, an empath, or an intuitive creative person. I’ll definitely be revisiting this book again and again.
There are many great things about this book, but I think one of the main keys that makes it so incredibly effective is that the author understands that when you are a Highly Sensitive Person, and your boundaries are being violated, you are in no place to participate in any kind of clear thinking. That’s why so much information on boundaries has never worked for me before. In the moment of reading the information, I rationally understand it and intellectually grasp how to apply it to real-life situations. However, when the real-life situation actually occurs, I freeze up, turn into a deer in the headlights, and my mind goes utterly blank. So all that complex information I learned just goes out the window. That’s the magic of this book though, it’s SIMPLE. It’s designed in such a way that even when you’re having a deer-in-the-headlights kind of moment, you can still calm down, orient yourself, and actually remember the key points that you learned in the book. There’s even a handy guide included in the back that you can cut out and save as a physical copy in your wallet, or bookmark online and reference on your phone when you need it (for instance, if you’re at a family gathering or in a work situation).
This book is absolutely genius and I highly recommend it to anyone who is Highly Sensitive, or considers themselves an INFJ or INFP personality type, an introvert, an empath, or an intuitive creative person. I’ll definitely be revisiting this book again and again.
March 22, 2025
Useful guide however I found it to be quite overwhelming. Being autistic and literal, at times it was hard to follow the metaphors. At the end of the book there’s a print out summary - which I ended up editing to make it easier to understand.
My problem with the book is that being highly sensitive it’s very hard to regulate the emotions and this guide oversimplifies that part. It seems like this guide is only truly suitable for those who aren’t too disregulated or have enough experience with self regulation. However if you are an emotional wreck, this book doesn’t help much. You might get stuck at step one, or you might manage to go through all the steps but never complete the last one - where maintenance and repair takes too long and new confrontations keep happening before you manage to repair the damage from the first one.
I would say this guide is just an add on to your massive stack of books, but not life changing on its own.
My problem with the book is that being highly sensitive it’s very hard to regulate the emotions and this guide oversimplifies that part. It seems like this guide is only truly suitable for those who aren’t too disregulated or have enough experience with self regulation. However if you are an emotional wreck, this book doesn’t help much. You might get stuck at step one, or you might manage to go through all the steps but never complete the last one - where maintenance and repair takes too long and new confrontations keep happening before you manage to repair the damage from the first one.
I would say this guide is just an add on to your massive stack of books, but not life changing on its own.
October 3, 2025
Clear, kind and tips that are easy to remember
This book helped me a lot! I’m kind of a sensitive person, and I hate conflict and hard talks. The boat idea is easy to remember. Also, the quick body tips worked for me in tense moments like meetings. I also liked the reminder to celebrate after and plan for next time. The method used by the author is clear and kind. I will keep the printable card on my phone to use whenever I need. Would totally recommend this book to anyone dealing with stressful situations, looking to be more intentional in how they better handle them.
This book helped me a lot! I’m kind of a sensitive person, and I hate conflict and hard talks. The boat idea is easy to remember. Also, the quick body tips worked for me in tense moments like meetings. I also liked the reminder to celebrate after and plan for next time. The method used by the author is clear and kind. I will keep the printable card on my phone to use whenever I need. Would totally recommend this book to anyone dealing with stressful situations, looking to be more intentional in how they better handle them.
August 18, 2023
some good insights
As author says, this is a “simple practice.” Not rocket science, but helpful especially in pointing out that being an empathic (sensitive) person presents special challenges for drawing one’s boundaries, and in providing reminders to check one’s own boundary-crashing tendencies.
As author says, this is a “simple practice.” Not rocket science, but helpful especially in pointing out that being an empathic (sensitive) person presents special challenges for drawing one’s boundaries, and in providing reminders to check one’s own boundary-crashing tendencies.
February 20, 2024
I was able to finish this short book in just one sitting. I found the information in it to be very easy to understand and practical enough to implement straight away. The author's use of metaphors was simple yet powerful, and the book was intended for Highly Sensitive People, although I believe that anyone could benefit from reading it. I plan to use the book as a reference both in my personal and professional life.
May 17, 2025
A good guide on how to recognize what is happening internally and externally when a boundary is being crossed so that you are aware when one is being crossed. How to center yourself and gather your emotions before reacting. Validates that it's ok and even good to be truthful with yourself and others about what your boundaries are even if it upsets people.
May 18, 2024
A high quality read, one that clearly shows the creativity input of the author. It’s a self-help book written with a simple yet effective metaphor of rowing a boat. I have enjoyed reading it thoroughly.
abandoned
March 1, 2024Abandoned at 20% because I'm just not in the mood for a self help book 🫠
September 28, 2025
3.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews