Setting Boundaries
Healthy boundaries help you and others respect your strengths, abilities and individuality. This can lead to better and more fulfilling relationships. Don’t be afraid to tell people when you need emotional and physical space. Set clear limits between what is acceptable and permitted and what is not.
Physical and emotional boundaries
Physical boundaries include your body, sense of personal space, sexual orientation, and privacy. Your clothing, shelter, noise tolerance, verbal instruction, and body language show these boundaries.
Emotional boundaries protect your self-esteem and ability to separate your feelings from others’. These include your beliefs, behaviors, choices, sense of responsibility, and ability to be intimate with others.
Digital boundaries
It can be hard to know where the line between healthy and unhealthy is once a relationship goes online. What are your rules for Facebook, Instagram, or Snapchat? Talk to your partner about how the two of you will handle your relationship online. Consider these points:
- Is it OK to tag each other in photos?
- Do we post our relationship status?
- Is it OK to friend or follow my friends?
- How often will we text each other?
- When is it OK to text?
- Is it OK to use each other’s devices?
- Is it OK to post or comment about our relationship?
Passwords are private
Passwords for your phone and website accounts should be private. Just like you should be able to spend time by yourself, you are entitled to your own online privacy.
Threats over text
Threats over text should be taken seriously. Don’t write them off as just angry venting.
Reading each other’s texts
Healthy relationships are built on trust. You have the right to privacy and the ability to talk to whomever you like.
Too much texting
Keeping in touch with your partner by text throughout the day can be thoughtful, but constant contact may be sign of controlling behaviour. Texting should not be used to monitor who you’re with or where you are.
Sexting is your choice
You have the right to choose if you want to engage in any kind of sexual activity, including sexting but remember that sexting can have legal consequences. There are also no guarantees that a sexual or nude picture of yourself that was sent to another person will remain private.
This item was last modified on August 19, 2019