Starting a new relationship can be somewhat daunting. The process of having to meet someone new, and being vulnerable with them can often put us in a seemingly uncomfortable position.

Building any new relationship requires time, and is often considered a long-term investment. Whether it’s with a friend, reconnecting with a family member, or even a potential partner, communicating boundaries is often one of the most important elements that helps to establish the groundwork for a fruitful partnership.

There comes a time in any relationship when you will need to communicate and set healthy boundaries with your partner. While this conversation is often a hot-button issue in many relationships, without boundaries, you slowly begin to lose some of your individuality, and more importantly, personal qualities that make your relationship unique.

Understand your needs 

Before you can begin to set boundaries with your partner, you will need to have a clear blueprint of what your needs are. By understanding your personal, and perhaps professional needs, you can begin to create more clarity surrounding the situation.

Being more open to the idea of communication, and understanding one another through interactions can help you build a rock-solid relationship. However, with this process, you need to be clear on the things that you feel are often non-negotiable, and shouldn’t come in between your relationship.

Share your thoughts 

Boundary setting shouldn’t be considered an avoidable topic in any relationship. Right from the get-go, you need to be more open about the things you feel that are important to you, and how your partner’s actions might inflict on these things.

If something bothers you or doesn’t sit right, or maybe even something happened and you feel that it could’ve been dealt with better, share your thoughts and how it made you feel. Don’t leave arguments unresolved or think that something will be solved by ignoring it.

Enforce boundaries 

Part of the process is to enforce boundaries and stick to what you have communicated. When you feel that your partner might be encroaching on specific things that you have agreed on, voice the matter with them, and regain your footing again.

There may be times when you feel that you might have overstepped, and when this occurs, be more vocal about it, and see whether your partner feels the same. That way you both understand where the line has been drawn, and whether or not you’ve overstepped.

Be honest about the things you value 

There are multiple things that you value as crucial components of your relationship, whether it’s with your partner, a friend, or even your family. Things such as trust, respect, honesty, or integrity, might be among the few things you value as important factors that play a role in your relationship.

Be honest with your partner about these things, and how you might feel about it. As you begin to learn about someone, everything they do, and what they value as important, you need to steadily open yourself, and share how certain things might be more important to you, and how this can influence your relationship.

Discuss non-negotiables 

Discuss the hard things. Sooner or later, you and your partner will find yourself in a situation where you might need to discuss finances, or even things such as fidelity, or perhaps spending time alone. Things that you might think are normal, or even straightforward to understand in a relationship might be something completely new to your partner.

Having uncomfortable conversations, perhaps too early on in the relationship might seem a bit far-fetched, or even unnecessary. However, the more you begin to discuss these things with your partner, the easier it will feel in the near term once a situation arises.

Consider what you’re bringing to the relationship 

We all carry some sort of baggage, and often what new couples don’t realize is that the baggage they carry becomes part of their relationship over time. Before you begin to step into the next phase of your relationship, consider what your baggage might be, and what you are bringing along into this new relationship.

You might be switching jobs, and need time to focus on your work and settle in your new position. Maybe you have an ill family member that you need to care for, or your partner might have a child from a previous relationship. Many things can make or break boundaries in a relationship, however, being more vocal will give you and your partner more clarity about where you might be heading.

Treat them how you want to be treated 

One of the best, and perhaps most important ways to preserve healthy boundaries is by treating your partner the same way you’d like to be treated. Using actionable methods helps to set the stage for the remainder of your relationship. This further enforces your boundaries but encourages your partner to become more aware of these things within due course.