The Importance of Boundary Setting

Boundaries are an incredibly important aspect of relationships.  They can determine the outcome of a friendship, romance, employment, or any other type of bond.  They are also a set of rules that can keep you on the right track for your own personal comfort levels.  Everyone should have boundaries and people should be open to talk about them with others.  They are normal!  Sometimes they may be hard to determine, but they will be worth it.

            How do we set boundaries?  They are probably brewing in the back of your head anyway.  If your significant other does something a little too quickly for your liking, this could mean they are overstepping a boundary.  They may not even know it though!  So this is where the communication comes in.  You have to tell them.

            Open communication is vitally important in many departments of relationships, but especially in this area.  If you communicate your boundaries and someone decides to overstep those, then you have the right to question their respect for you.  That’s the thing.  Society likes to push boundaries.  People like to see how far they can get.  However, it is up to you to determine what you will accept and what you will not.  That is the beauty of life and the journey along with it.

            Therefore, boundaries can make or break any relationship because it is all about communication.  This set of rules are your own personal expectations, so they will allow you to stay comfortable and respected within your bonds with others.  Boundaries are healthy and everyone has them.  We just need to vocalize them to others so people are aware and can respect them.  And people that respect boundaries should be treasured.

• Written by Jessica Skrelunas, intern