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How to Manage Guilt After Setting Boundaries: An Evidence-Based Guide
If you’ve ever said “no” to protect your time, energy, or well-being—only to find yourself swimming in guilt afterward—you’re not alone.
Guilt is one of the most common emotional aftershocks of boundary-setting, especially for people who’ve been conditioned to prioritize others over themselves. The good news? That guilt is often false guilt—a learned reaction, not a moral compass. And there are proven ways to manage it without backtracking on your boundaries.
Here’s how to navigate guilt with strategies backed by cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), self-compassion research, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Relational Life Therapy (RLT) principles.
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