3 Ways Your Boundaries Could Be Isolating You

Sometimes, even with the best of intentions, boundaries can backfire. Here's how to prevent yours from working against you.

By Mark Travers, Ph.D. | May 19, 2025

To understand how a boundary might end up isolating you; you must first start by looking at what motivated you to draw it in the first place.

Think of a past relationship where you felt hurt or betrayed by your partner and immediately thought, "I won't let anyone get too close to me emotionally." Perhaps, it felt empowering at the time. You took care of yourself by swearing off vulnerability and keeping conversations surface-level.

But over time, that same boundary may have created distance, even with close friends — they wouldn't have understood what you were going through anyway, right? You might have found people stopped reaching out, leaving you feeling disconnected. If that sounds familiar, it's possible the boundaries you had set ended up isolating you.

Even well-intentioned boundary-setting can backfire sometimes, leading to disconnection or rigid emotional walls. Here are three common boundary pitfalls we need to avoid if we want to feel more connected to those around us.

1. Mistaking Hyper-Independence For Healthy Boundaries

Some of us insist on doing everything by ourselves, no matter how tough it gets. While some people are naturally good at taking care of themselves, others grow into it. The initial loneliness turns to independence that we start to enjoy and cherish.

But it turns into a problem when we refuse to ask for a hand even when we're struggling, whether it's needing someone to listen at the end of a tough day or trying to carry something heavy like a TV to your third-floor apartment, all while stubbornly insisting we can manage alone.

Our immediate response to ourselves might be, "I don't need anyone." But is it true?

Sometimes, our response stems from past experiences where asking or even expecting help from others led to pain and disappointment because they did not show up the way we might have expected them to.

So, we avoid asking for help again and become hyper-independent. It becomes our coping mechanism, where we create strong walls in the name of independence, by convincing ourselves that not depending on others is a strength. This often stems from past disappointments, but it can lead to chronic loneliness or burnout.

Every time you take something on alone, no matter how hard you push yourself or how much you try to be better, it can still feel heavy. You might long for support but hold back from asking for it. But there's no shame in leaning on the people in your life.

A 2019 study published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin shows that healthy relationships thrive when partners feel close to their partners, without compromising on their sense of autonomy or independence. When you only prioritize one, you risk weakening the other. Hyper-independence happens when a person overemphasizes autonomy, often as a defense mechanism from past hurt, trauma or fear of vulnerability.

There's no reason to be always dependent on others, but setting boundaries that are rigid or inflexible can quickly morph into barriers to intimacy in your relationships, whether romantic or platonic. That's when self-preservation starts to look like avoidance or emotional distancing, creates the conditions for resentment, miscommunication and even breakups to follow.

This is why you need to practice selective interdependence. This means learning to trust ourselves to handle conflict and depending on safe people, even if they occasionally "rub us the wrong way." Boundaries should help us navigate our relationships more safely, instead of cutting ties entirely.

2. Cutting People Off At The Slightest Discomfort

Annoyance is a small price we all pay to sustain community. Some of us, however, adopt a zero-tolerance approach when someone shows a flaw or makes a mistake. While protecting ourselves is vital, this mindset assumes we must be guarded at all times to feel safe.

According to a 2019 study published in Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, when someone in the group is holding others back (like not doing their part or causing problems), our brains react with a kind of mental discomfort called psychological pain. This pain acts like a warning system that this person could be a threat to the group's success and you need to do something about it.

Just like physical pain tells us to move our hand off a hot stove, psychological pain tells us to emotionally or socially distance ourselves from people who might harm our goals or well-being. This can lead us to ostracize the "burdensome" person, through actions like ignoring, excluding or cutting them off.

When someone has extreme boundaries, it's often because they've felt this kind of psychological pain before. Perhaps they've often been let down by others. So now, instead of risking that pain again, they protect themselves by cutting people off quickly or avoiding closeness altogether.

In a way, they're trying to prevent future pain by never depending on anyone. And to an extent, it may even work out for them. But if this response to pain becomes overactive, it can make one reject others too quickly, even when the person is not a real threat.

Every time we set boundaries, we need to remind ourselves to effectively communicate with those around us, instead of avoiding them at the first sign of conflict. You start to feel emotionally safe only when you trust people around you enough to address uncomfortable feelings and resolve differences when they arise.

3. Using Boundaries To Avoid Over-Giving Instead Of Choosing When To Give

There's a difference between giving and giving in. You may have experienced the latter if someone needed your help and you felt obliged to help them out, even though you didn't really want to.

People who give in usually don't enjoy helping and would prefer to avoid the situation entirely if they could. Giving in may lead to feelings of burnout if you overextend yourself trying to help someone instead of respecting your own limits.

As a result, you start telling yourself, "I'll never overextend myself again." You begin to withhold your time and affection, afraid of being let down after showing up for someone who asked for your help. You pull back, protecting yourself, sometimes so much that you stop showing up fully, even when it really matters.

However, you don't have to set the same boundaries for everyone. It's okay to go out of your way to help a close friend who asked for it without expecting much in return, as long as it aligns with your values. It's best when it's voluntary, rather than out of obligation.

Knowing the difference is how we can set intentional boundaries and remain connected to loved ones while protecting ourselves.

The next time you feel the urge to hold back from showing care for someone, pause and ask yourself — are you protecting your peace, or simply avoiding the natural discomfort that comes with human ties? With each interaction, you learn more about yourself, and setting boundaries becomes not only easier, but more personal.

This internal attunement ultimately allows you to show up fully in your relationships. You learn to inculcate the confidence to care deeply, while knowing when to protect your energy or walk away.

Are your actions unintentionally harming your relationships? Take this science-backed test to find out: Relationship Sabotage Scale

A similar version of this article can also be found on Forbes.com, here.