Boundaries

A boundary is a line that marks or fixes a limit. Boundaries can be physical, verbal, mental or emotional. You have the right to set limits with people and to ask for what you want. Setting boundaries is about saying “no” when you mean no and “yes” when you mean yes.

Good communication and boundary-setting skills are the foundation for personal safety. Improving your communication abilities makes it less likely that you will ever be selected for an assault. Just as you have the right to defend yourself from physical attack, you have the right to defend yourself from verbal assault, emotional abuse, and uncomfortable behavior. Setting boundaries means protecting both your physical safe zone and your emotional safe zone.

Boundary-setting skills include learning how to:
• Identify, communicate and enforce our boundaries
• Read a situation and make quick and appropriate responses
• Problem-solve and lead ourselves out of trouble while under pressure

Graduates report using verbal boundaries skills virtually every day. These verbal skills become one of the most valuable aspects of the IMPACT training, not only because of how frequently they are used but because of how effective they are. Even those who consider themselves assertive gain a lot from practicing boundary-setting skills in our classes.