Establishing boundaries: Lessons for Living, by Dr Neil Thompson

Often confusion arises because there is a lack of clarity about who is responsible for what.

The more pressurized the situation is, the more likely this problem is to occur.

This confusion can breed anxiety, and that anxiety, in turn, can lead to fuzzy thinking which then contributes to confusion about boundaries.

There is therefore much to be gained from being clear about where the boundaries lie.

It is important to be clear about what you are personally responsible for in any given situation.

But it is also important to be clear about what part you play in any shared responsibility.

Are the others who share that responsibility clear about their contribution and are you all clear about how you are going to exercise your shared responsibility?

Are you also clear about what is not your responsibility so that you can avoid stressing yourself out by worrying about matters that are someone else’s responsibility?

Establishing clarity about boundaries not only makes our own position easier to manage, it also provides a much firmer basis for working in partnership.