Respect Boundaries
We have talked about boundaries in all kinds of relationships. Boundaries are personal rules. They help you to feel safe and comfortable in a relationship.
Boundaries are important with families, friends, acquaintances, staff, coworkers, and even strangers. You can have your own boundaries and you need to respect the boundaries of other people.
You may have to politely tell someone about your boundaries, and they will tell you about theirs. Even if you don’t agree with or understand the boundaries, you need to respect them. Sometimes you might need to tell people more than once about your boundaries. Sometimes you might decide to change your boundaries depending on whether someone gains or loses your trust.
Here are some examples of boundaries:
- Personal space: Some people feel uncomfortable when other people stand too close to them.
- Texting, emails, and phone calls: Some people like to connect with others all day long, other people have certain times of the day, or certain days of the week, that they don’t want to connect.
- Social media connections: Some people don’t want to be Facebook friends or to connect with others online.
- Hugs and other physical touch: many people will only want to hug their very best friends or family members.
- Food: Many people do not like to share their food.
- Saying “I love you”: These words are usually saved for the closest relationships like family and romantic relationships.