Articles about Boundaries
14 free articles, newest first. Every one is a few minutes long, written in plain language, and open to everyone with no account.
Being Around Someone You Cannot Stand
A relative, a colleague, the other parent at pickup. Why liking them is not the goal, the three topics and the exit line to prepare, and how to keep your evening…
When Someone Tells You Something Heavy
A friend tells you what happened to them, and you freeze. What actually helps in that conversation, what not to say, and how to carry it afterward without it flattening…
Being the One Who Holds It All Together
You are the reliable one, so everything lands on you, and nobody ever asks how you are. How the role gets built, what it costs, and how to put some of it down.
When the News Is Too Much
You want to be informed and you end up frightened, flat and unable to look away. Why the feed works on you that way, how much following is enough, and what to do with…
Sharing a Bed and Not Sleeping
Snoring, different bedtimes, a duvet war and a phone screen at midnight. How to get your sleep back without it becoming a fight about the relationship.
Asking Someone to Stop Giving You Advice
Unasked-for suggestions from a parent, a friend or a colleague, over and over. Why the advice keeps coming, how to ask for it to stop without a row, and what to do when…
When Someone Keeps Refusing Help
They need support and will not accept it. What tends to be behind the refusal, what to stop trying, and how to stay in their life without wearing yourself out.
When Someone Takes Their Anger Out on You
Their day was terrible and you are the one standing there. How to respond to misdirected anger without absorbing it, escalating, or pretending it did not happen.
When a Coworker Takes Up All Your Time
The chats, the questions, the work that drifts onto your desk. How to get your hours back from a colleague without a confrontation or a bad atmosphere.
When a Friend Owes You Money
You lent it months ago and they have not mentioned it since. Why money between friends goes wrong so easily, how to actually ask, and how to decide whether to let it go.
Spending the Holidays With Family You Find Hard
Four days in the house you grew up in, with the people who can still reduce you to fifteen. How to plan the visit so you leave it intact, and what to do when it goes…
How to Stop Overexplaining Yourself
You say no, then add three reasons, an apology, and an offer to make it up to them. Why some of us cannot let a simple answer stand, and how to say what you mean and…
What to Say When a Parent Won't Stop Giving Advice
Unsolicited advice from a parent can feel like an old argument you never agreed to have. Here is why it stings, and a few calm lines that hold a boundary.
How to Set a Boundary Without Starting a Fight
A boundary is a statement about what you will do, not a demand about what someone else must do. That one shift makes most of them easier to say and easier to hear.