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Every Friday on The Verywell Mind Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Amy Morin, LCSW, shares the “Friday Fix”—a short episode featuring a quick, actionable tip or exercise to help you manage a specific mental health issue or concern.

Friday Fix: Episode 189

Boundaries involve setting rules that make it clear how you want to be treated. Sometimes, that means saying no to something like, “No, I won’t loan you my car.”

Other boundaries involve telling someone what you expect like, “I expect you to call before showing up at my house.”

Sometimes, it’s important to announce your boundaries to other people. You might say, “Please don’t ask about my health issues in front of other people.”

At other times, however, it’s best to show what your boundaries are with your behavior. If you’re at a dinner party where people start drinking heavily and you’re uncomfortable, you might find it’s best to leave without offering an explanation about why.

But there are a lot of misconceptions about boundaries. And these misconceptions often spread quickly on social media and cause many people to misunderstand how to set boundaries in a healthy way.

Setting boundaries can feel uncomfortable at first if you aren’t used to setting them, but establishing clear boundaries shows you have respect for yourself and it can be the key to establishing healthy relationships with other people. 

So on this Friday Fix episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast, I talk about the common boundary-making mistakes you’re going to want to avoid. 

More About the Podcast

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Editor’s Note: Please be mindful that this transcript does not go through our standard editorial process and may contain inaccuracies and grammatical errors. Thank you.

For media or public speaking inquiries, contact Amy here.

Download the Transcript

Links and Resources

  • Follow Amy Morin on Instagram

  • Check out Amy’s books on mental strength

  • How to Set Boundaries With Therapist Nedra Glover-Tawwab

  • Friday Fix: How to Stay Mentally Strong When Someone Is Gaslighting You

  • Friday Fix: How to Stop Being a People-Pleaser