{"id":2118,"date":"2025-12-10T10:45:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-10T06:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/?p=2118"},"modified":"2025-12-10T21:01:42","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T17:01:42","slug":"how-to-communicate-boundaries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/personal-life\/relationships\/personal\/how-to-communicate-boundaries\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Communicate Boundaries\u2014and 3 Mistakes to Avoid"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Setting boundaries protects what matters most to you. But knowing you have boundaries and actually communicating them effectively are two different things. Many of us struggle to say no, fall into passive-aggressive patterns, or avoid the conversation altogether.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The good news? Boundary-setting is a learnable skill. Keep reading to discover how to communicate boundaries clearly, master the art of saying no, and avoid the communication mistakes that damage relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><h2>Table of Contents<\/h2><ul><li><a href=\"#h-how-to-communicate-boundaries\" data-level=\"2\">How to Communicate Boundaries<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#h-learn-to-say-no\" data-level=\"3\">Learn to Say No<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-how-not-to-communicate-boundaries\" data-level=\"2\">How Not to Communicate Boundaries<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#h-passive-aggression\" data-level=\"3\">Passive Aggression<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-aggression\" data-level=\"3\">Aggression<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-manipulation\" data-level=\"3\">Manipulation<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-explore-communication-amp-boundaries-further\" data-level=\"2\">Explore Communication &amp; Boundaries Further<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-communicate-boundaries\">How to Communicate Boundaries<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/the-next-conversation\/preview\" rel=\"nofollow\"><em>The Next Conversation<\/em><\/a>, Jefferson Fisher explains that boundaries are personal rules that protect things that matter to you\u2014for instance, your time, your family, or your emotional health. It\u2019s not enough to identify boundaries in your own mind; you must articulate them, clearly telling others what you expect. Fisher provides three-step advice on how to communicate boundaries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1. Establish the boundary using an \u201cI\u201d statement.<\/strong> For example, \u201cI don\u2019t take work calls after 6 p.m. because that\u2019s my family time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2. Explain the consequences of crossing the boundary.<\/strong> Use conditional language\u2014for example, \u201cIf you call me after 6 p.m., I won\u2019t answer and will return your call the next business day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3. Follow through on the stated consequence.<\/strong> For example, if a colleague calls at 8 p.m., don\u2019t pick up the phone. Instead, call back in the morning as you said you would.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fisher writes that people who truly care will respect your boundaries. However, be careful not to create too many, which can damage relationships and allow you to avoid responsibilities. Set boundaries only for things that really matter, and stay flexible about less important things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-learn-to-say-no\">Learn to Say No<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Part of boundary setting is learning to say no. Fisher explains that <strong>saying no is a skill that helps you take control of your time and energy. <\/strong>It lets you make choices based on what you want, not what others expect from you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fisher suggests a three-step process to turn down requests: <strong>Start with a clear \u201cno,\u201d express gratitude, and then end by saying something positive.<\/strong> For example, if a coworker asks you to take on an extra project when you\u2019re already busy, you might say, \u201cNo, I can\u2019t take on another project right now. I appreciate you considering me for this opportunity. Best of luck with the project!\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fisher says that <strong>you don\u2019t need to apologize or explain why you\u2019re declining<\/strong>. Most of our worries about disappointing others are overblown\u2014if someone keeps pushing for reasons, just repeat your answer without adding details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Why Saying No Is Hard\u2014And Additional Tips to Master It<\/strong><br><br>According to Greg McKeown in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/essentialism\" rel=\"nofollow\"><em>Essentialism<\/em><\/a>, our reluctance to decline requests runs much deeper than we realize. He explains that humans evolved to cooperate and conform because these traits helped our ancestors survive in groups. This means that when you feel uncomfortable turning someone down, you\u2019re fighting thousands of years of evolutionary programming that tells you to get along with others.<br><br>To make saying no easier, consider the following tips:<br><br><strong>1. Remember you\u2019re rejecting the request, not the person. <\/strong>Separating the decision from the relationship helps you communicate more kindly while staying firm.<br><br><strong>2. Think about what you\u2019d give up by saying yes.<\/strong> McKeown explains that remembering the trade-off makes declining easier\u2014every yes to one thing means saying no to something else.<br><br><strong>3. View requests as transactions.<\/strong> The other person is essentially selling you something (a cause, opportunity, or social event) in exchange for your time, which helps you evaluate whether it\u2019s worth \u201cbuying.\u201d<br><br><strong>4. Accept temporary unpopularity.<\/strong> While someone might be disappointed initially, McKeown notes they\u2019ll likely respect you more in the long run for valuing your time.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-not-to-communicate-boundaries\">How <em>Not<\/em> to Communicate Boundaries<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Nedra Glover Tawwab in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/set-boundaries-find-peace\/preview\" rel=\"nofollow\"><em>Set Boundaries, Find Peace<\/em><\/a>, many people use passive aggression, aggression, and manipulation when communicating boundaries. Whether or not they realize it, everyone exhibits these behaviors at times\u2014even you. This isn\u2019t because we\u2019re bad, selfish people, but rather because boundary-setting is difficult, especially if you\u2019ve never been taught to do it. However, these common tendencies don\u2019t help us maintain healthy relationships. Because of this, Tawwab recommends that you look out for these patterns and avoid them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-passive-aggression\">Passive Aggression<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As Tawwab describes, passive aggression involves doling out consequences for violations without first taking time to communicate your boundaries. It can be easy to fall into this pattern\u2014when someone does something you don\u2019t like, many people find it natural to sulk or retaliate. However, behaving passive-aggressively usually doesn\u2019t help you get your needs met because <strong>the other person won\u2019t know what they\u2019ve done wrong or how to do better until you tell them<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: If you\u2019re struggling to avoid passive-aggression, it may be worth talking to a therapist about it. Mental health professionals note that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/healthy-lifestyle\/adult-health\/expert-answers\/passive-aggressive-behavior\/faq-20057901#:~:text=Passive%2Daggressive%20behavior%20is%20a,what%20he%20or%20she%20does.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">passive-aggression sometimes presents as a symptom of untreated mental illness<\/a>. If your passive-aggression is related to mental illness, seeking treatment may make it easier for you to cut down on communicating this way.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Avoid Passive Communication<\/strong><br><br>In addition to the three negative communication patterns Tawwab outlines, some authors list a fourth negative pattern: passive communication. Passive communicators usually don\u2019t see their own needs as important. Because of this, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.topoftheworldranch.com\/2019\/10\/negative-communication\/#:~:text=There%20are%20three%20main%20types,slip%20into%20some%20negative%20behaviours.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">passive communicators almost never share their needs with others<\/a>. Instead, they prefer to focus on meeting the needs of others in their relationships.\u00a0<br><br>In the long run, passive communication isn\u2019t an effective strategy for building fulfilling relationships. Without knowing how you feel and what you need, the people in your life won\u2019t have the information they need to be good to you, and you deny them the chance to get to know you more intimately.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-aggression\">Aggression<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Aggression is exactly what it sounds like\u2014getting upset and raising your voice, shaming people, and picking fights in response to unwanted behaviors. While aggressive communication can help you get your point across, it will also make others afraid of you and may even make them retreat from the relationship entirely. Because of these damaging effects, Tawwab argues that aggression isn\u2019t an effective tool for maintaining relationships.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: While Tawwab argues that aggression isn\u2019t generally a good communication tool, other authors argue that <a href=\"https:\/\/umatter.princeton.edu\/respect\/tools\/communication-styles\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">aggressive communication can be helpful in certain situations<\/a>. If you\u2019re in a situation that you\u2019re worried might become dangerous, taking aggressive action may help you to exit the situation quickly.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-manipulation\">Manipulation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, manipulation involves using indirect methods to try to get what you want without directly communicating boundaries. Often, Tawwab argues, manipulators try to use guilt to get other people to do what they want. Just like aggression, manipulation makes other people feel fearful and uncomfortable, and it may cause people to resent you or leave relationships with you. Because of this, manipulation ultimately isn\u2019t a very useful communication tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: Because manipulators try to control situations subtly and indirectly, it can be difficult to recognize manipulation in your relationships. For instance, in addition to overt behaviors such as bullying and insults, manipulation can include subtle methods, such as a refusal to engage in conflict, as well as \u201clove bombing.\u201d In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/why-does-he-do-that\" rel=\"nofollow\"><em>Why Does He Do That?<\/em><\/a>, Lundy Bancroft explains that \u201clove bombing\u201d is a pattern of behavior in which a manipulative person offers excessive affection at the beginning of a relationship to win you over. Then, they withhold their affection in an attempt to gain leverage over you. If one of your relationships falls into this pattern, it may be a sign that you\u2019re being manipulated.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As an example, suppose you\u2019re feeling overburdened at work, and one of your coworkers approaches you to ask if you can handle a challenging project for them. The healthiest option would be to immediately and explicitly state your boundaries, saying something such as \u201cI appreciate that you\u2019re having a difficult time, but I can\u2019t help you with this project.\u201d On the other hand, if you choose to manipulate your coworker instead of directly expressing your boundaries, you might lie and say that you heard management was disappointed in your coworker&#8217;s lack of initiative. While this behavior might convince your coworker to finish the project on their own, you\u2019d probably also make your coworker upset, especially if they found out you lied to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-explore-communication-amp-boundaries-further\">Explore Communication &amp; Boundaries Further<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To better understand the broader context of communication and boundaries, read Shortform\u2019s full guides to the books referenced in this article:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/the-next-conversation\/preview\" rel=\"nofollow\"><em>The Next Conversation<\/em><\/a> by Jefferson Fisher<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/set-boundaries-find-peace\/preview\" rel=\"nofollow\"><em>Set Boundaries, Find Peace<\/em><\/a> by Nedra Glover Tawwab<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Knowing you have boundaries and actually articulating them are two different things. Learn three steps to clearly communicate your boundaries.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":2123,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2118","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-personal"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.3 (Yoast SEO v24.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Communicate Boundaries\u2014and 3 Mistakes to Avoid - Shortform Hub<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Knowing you have boundaries and actually articulating them are two different things. Learn three steps to clearly communicate your boundaries.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/personal-life\/relationships\/personal\/how-to-communicate-boundaries\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Communicate Boundaries\u2014and 3 Mistakes to Avoid\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Knowing you have boundaries and actually articulating them are two different things. Learn three steps to clearly communicate your boundaries.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/personal-life\/relationships\/personal\/how-to-communicate-boundaries\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Shortform Hub\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-12-10T06:45:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-12-10T17:01:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/12\/woman-raising-finger-while-speaking.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"571\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Elizabeth Whitworth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Elizabeth Whitworth\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/personal-life\/relationships\/personal\/how-to-communicate-boundaries\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/personal-life\/relationships\/personal\/how-to-communicate-boundaries\/\",\"name\":\"How to Communicate Boundaries\u2014and 3 Mistakes to Avoid - Shortform Hub\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/personal-life\/relationships\/personal\/how-to-communicate-boundaries\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/personal-life\/relationships\/personal\/how-to-communicate-boundaries\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/12\/woman-raising-finger-while-speaking.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-10T06:45:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-10T17:01:42+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/#\/schema\/person\/d2928cf6c11a69ced1491d6a5b74fb13\"},\"description\":\"Knowing you have boundaries and actually articulating them are two different things. Learn three steps to clearly communicate your boundaries.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/personal-life\/relationships\/personal\/how-to-communicate-boundaries\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/personal-life\/relationships\/personal\/how-to-communicate-boundaries\/\"]}],\"accessibilityFeature\":[\"tableOfContents\"]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/personal-life\/relationships\/personal\/how-to-communicate-boundaries\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/12\/woman-raising-finger-while-speaking.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/12\/woman-raising-finger-while-speaking.jpeg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":571,\"caption\":\"A close-up of a woman communicating boundaries, talking and raising her index finger\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/personal-life\/relationships\/personal\/how-to-communicate-boundaries\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Personal Life\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/category\/personal-life\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Relationships\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/category\/personal-life\/relationships\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"Personal Communication\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/category\/personal-life\/relationships\/personal\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":5,\"name\":\"How to Communicate Boundaries\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/\",\"name\":\"Shortform Hub\",\"description\":\"Where Meaningful Ideas Come Together\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/#\/schema\/person\/d2928cf6c11a69ced1491d6a5b74fb13\",\"name\":\"Elizabeth Whitworth\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1fff9d65a52ac4340660218e7b63ee5e365cf08e7aa7adff79a0142cd4b96f84?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1fff9d65a52ac4340660218e7b63ee5e365cf08e7aa7adff79a0142cd4b96f84?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Elizabeth Whitworth\"},\"description\":\"Elizabeth has a lifelong love of books. She devours nonfiction, especially in the areas of history, theology, and philosophy. A switch to audiobooks has kindled her enjoyment of well-narrated fiction, particularly Victorian and early 20th-century works. She appreciates idea-driven books\u2014and a classic murder mystery now and then. Elizabeth has a Substack and is writing a book about what the Bible says about death and hell.\",\"sameAs\":[\"rina@shortform.com\"],\"award\":[\"Contributions to joint task force efforts (FBI)\",\"Contributions to Special Operations Division (DOJ & DEA)\",\"Efforts to fight the war on drugs (NSA)\",\"Contributions to Operation Storm Front (US Customs Service)\"],\"knowsAbout\":[\"History\",\"Theology\",\"Government\"],\"jobTitle\":\"Senior SEO Writer\",\"worksFor\":\"Shortform\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/author\/elizabeth\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Communicate Boundaries\u2014and 3 Mistakes to Avoid - Shortform Hub","description":"Knowing you have boundaries and actually articulating them are two different things. Learn three steps to clearly communicate your boundaries.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/personal-life\/relationships\/personal\/how-to-communicate-boundaries\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to Communicate Boundaries\u2014and 3 Mistakes to Avoid","og_description":"Knowing you have boundaries and actually articulating them are two different things. Learn three steps to clearly communicate your boundaries.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/personal-life\/relationships\/personal\/how-to-communicate-boundaries\/","og_site_name":"Shortform Hub","article_published_time":"2025-12-10T06:45:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-12-10T17:01:42+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":571,"url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/12\/woman-raising-finger-while-speaking.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Elizabeth Whitworth","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Elizabeth Whitworth","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/personal-life\/relationships\/personal\/how-to-communicate-boundaries\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/personal-life\/relationships\/personal\/how-to-communicate-boundaries\/","name":"How to Communicate Boundaries\u2014and 3 Mistakes to Avoid - Shortform Hub","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/personal-life\/relationships\/personal\/how-to-communicate-boundaries\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/personal-life\/relationships\/personal\/how-to-communicate-boundaries\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/12\/woman-raising-finger-while-speaking.jpeg","datePublished":"2025-12-10T06:45:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-12-10T17:01:42+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/#\/schema\/person\/d2928cf6c11a69ced1491d6a5b74fb13"},"description":"Knowing you have boundaries and actually articulating them are two different things. Learn three steps to clearly communicate your boundaries.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/personal-life\/relationships\/personal\/how-to-communicate-boundaries\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/personal-life\/relationships\/personal\/how-to-communicate-boundaries\/"]}],"accessibilityFeature":["tableOfContents"]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/personal-life\/relationships\/personal\/how-to-communicate-boundaries\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/12\/woman-raising-finger-while-speaking.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/12\/woman-raising-finger-while-speaking.jpeg","width":1200,"height":571,"caption":"A close-up of a woman communicating boundaries, talking and raising her index finger"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/personal-life\/relationships\/personal\/how-to-communicate-boundaries\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Personal Life","item":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/category\/personal-life\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Relationships","item":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/category\/personal-life\/relationships\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Personal Communication","item":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/category\/personal-life\/relationships\/personal\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":5,"name":"How to Communicate Boundaries"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/","name":"Shortform Hub","description":"Where Meaningful Ideas Come Together","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/#\/schema\/person\/d2928cf6c11a69ced1491d6a5b74fb13","name":"Elizabeth Whitworth","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1fff9d65a52ac4340660218e7b63ee5e365cf08e7aa7adff79a0142cd4b96f84?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1fff9d65a52ac4340660218e7b63ee5e365cf08e7aa7adff79a0142cd4b96f84?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Elizabeth Whitworth"},"description":"Elizabeth has a lifelong love of books. She devours nonfiction, especially in the areas of history, theology, and philosophy. A switch to audiobooks has kindled her enjoyment of well-narrated fiction, particularly Victorian and early 20th-century works. She appreciates idea-driven books\u2014and a classic murder mystery now and then. Elizabeth has a Substack and is writing a book about what the Bible says about death and hell.","sameAs":["rina@shortform.com"],"award":["Contributions to joint task force efforts (FBI)","Contributions to Special Operations Division (DOJ & DEA)","Efforts to fight the war on drugs (NSA)","Contributions to Operation Storm Front (US Customs Service)"],"knowsAbout":["History","Theology","Government"],"jobTitle":"Senior SEO Writer","worksFor":"Shortform","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/author\/elizabeth\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/12\/woman-raising-finger-while-speaking.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2118","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2118"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2118\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2125,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2118\/revisions\/2125"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2123"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2118"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2118"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2118"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}