Q&A for How to Set Boundaries with People

It is important to have personal boundaries because so you can feel safe and respected. It helps you to maintain emotional and physical well-being and personal integrity. Boundaries also help the other person to know what you are comfortable with and what you are not. For example, a date should know upfront if you are open to sexual contact or not before you start to make out.

To set a boundary means to place an imaginary line between you and anything or anyone that you need to feel whole or safe. For example, you may not want to be kissed or caressed by a co-worker but would want to be touched this way by a boyfriend or girlfriend.

Personal boundaries refer to an individual's guidelines or limits that keep one safe by establishing how one wants others to approach them. It usually includes a clear statement about how one will respond to how they will react when/if someone violates those guidelines.

Professional boundaries refer to the etiquette for human interaction in the workplace. While you may have personal friends in the workplace, usually, there is less intimacy and familiarity in the workplace. For example, you might not want to share a miscarriage or serious breakup at work, but you would with a personal friend or family member.