Daily Prompt – June 15, 2026

Write your guide to setting healthy boundaries in relationships.

This is a very important topic. Boundaries are essential in EVERY relationship. I do mean EVERY single one. Lots of people think they only apply to romantic relationships but they apply to coworkers, managers, friends, and family. Adult children can especially benefit from establishing boundaries with their parents who might struggle to understand how that relationship changes with age.

The number one thing to remember is that boundaries are not rules. They are not statements that say the other person can or cannot do something. They are guardrails to protect you from another persons behavior. They are your way of stating what will happen if the other person chooses to behave in a way that is detrimental to your mental health and wellbeing.

The key to setting healthy boundaries is to remember they are about you. What actions you will take to protect yourself. You establish the behavior that others can do which is harmful and what the consequences to the relationship if those actions are taken. These aren’t ultimatums or rules in the relationship. These are like fences with open gates that can be closed and/or locked if necessary.

For example a bad attempt at a boundary would be someone telling their significant other that they are not allowed to see a friend that makes them uncomfortable. A good, healthy boundary would be telling the partner that if they see the person that makes you uncomfortable, you will need to take a break from the relationship to evaluate it.

Another example of a good boundary is an adult child telling a parent who tends to call at bad times that if they continue to call without texting first, their number will be blocked and communication will only occur via email. An unhealthy version of this would be yelling at the parent and telling them they can’t do that anymore.

We do not control the behavior of others. We do control how we respond to that behavior. Boundaries are a way of establishing the expected response to unwelcome behavior so that the other party can make an informed decision.