Why are boundaries very important in a Couple relationship?
Yes, boundaries are very important in a Couple relationship.
When I say a couple relationship – I mean any kind of a committed relationship, which could be a marriage, or a live-in relationship or a boyfriend-girlfriend. A very common joke regarding marriage is that a marriage is like a public toilet, those waiting outside can’t wait to get in and those who are inside can’t wait to come out. And it is true that many people are afraid that, getting into a committed relationship would curtail their freedom and not allow them to be themselves. Yes, if you get into a relationship with an extremely controlling partner this could be the case which could border on abuse.
I am talking here about normal relationships that are not abusive. Then also there will be some changes in both the partners’ activities and behaviours that would be required to build up a healthy relationship. Certain things that were OK to do before getting into a relationship might need to change based upon your partner’s preferences. What is OK to do and NOT OK to do, would change depending upon your partner’s comfort levels and acceptance. This doesn’t mean you lose your freedom. This means that while taking care of your needs you also need to take into account your partner’s needs, comfort level, acceptance etc. If you are doing certain things which are completely unacceptable to your partner you need to really take your partner’s opinion into consideration.
Boundaries also would apply to what you share with or how much you interact with someone else or how involved is someone else in your personal life and decisions as well. It would also apply to how much you are involved in someone else’s life. If these make you or your partner uncomfortable, it is time to revisit and realign these boundaries.
For example (Fictional), Nita and Sam were married since 2 years. Both were working and also lived independently in a separate apartment, and Sam’s parents lived about 3 Kms away. Both parents were healthy, self sufficient and financially well. Sam’s mother would insist that Sam and Nita visit them every other day. When Nita didn’t want to keep going there so frequently, after 3 months into their marriage, Sam would visit on his own. Nita didn’t like it either. All their decisions regarding what they want to purchase for their house, what they should do with their bonus, where they should go for their trips, everything had to be discussed with Sam’s mother and she would have a say on it. Some times when they didn’t agree, his mother would get upset as well. And this would cause conflicts between the couple.
In this example – Sam and Nita are not able to set up clear boundaries for their relationship, and Sam’s mother is so involved in their life that it creates significant discomfort to Nita. Though Sam’s mother would decide everything for Sam all these years, now continuing to do that creates trouble for the couple relationship.
Let’s take another (Fictional) example Rajat and Rupa were having lots of fights regarding Rajat wanting to go out to party/drink every Friday night at their usual Pub with his friends till late in the night. Since Rupa doesn’t drink and doesn’t like noisy places she would not prefer to go. Rajat’s argument was that, this has been his habit all through his adult life since about 6 years now. Every one of his friends would meet up on Friday night and drink past midnight. And he would say that she is welcome to join. He would say, why should I change what has been a part of my life all these years, just because I am married? He strongly felt his freedom is being threatened. On top of that, his ex-girlfriend was also part of this friends group, which troubled Rupa even more.
In this example – Rajat and Rupa are not able agree on common boundaries about what activities in what frequency is acceptable to the both, the activity here is his Friday night drinking with his friends. His interaction with his ex-girlfriend also makes Rupa feel uncomfortable.
These are – what we call as boundaries of a relationship. Boundaries are needed to keep your relationship safe and not intended to curtail you or distance you away from others. Now that you are in a relationship, you need to not just think of yourself but also about your partner and your relationship as well. When people get into a relationship or a marriage without this understanding, they might feel suffocated and might feel that their freedom has been restricted. To be ready, prepared and to have a good relationship/marriage also means to be willing to take into account your partner’s preferences, choices, comfort and acceptance as well.
Setting up clear boundaries for your relationship and adhering to them are one way of gaining and maintaining your partner’s trust. You respect each other when you respect each other’s boundaries and the boundaries of the relationship. It builds greater intimacy between the couple and encourages more open communication and bonding.
Boundaries could be applicable for any kind of behavior, activity, interaction that happens with anyone else outside the relationship be it, parents, siblings, friends, colleagues, including ex-partners, ex-flames and other past relationships. The specifics of these boundaries would vary based on what you both are OK with in each of these relationships, activities, behavior.
About the Author:
Kala Balasubramanian is certified Counselling Psychologist/Psychotherapist with a Masters in Counselling and Psychotherapy, Diplomas in Counselling and has further certifications specializing in couple/marriage/relationship counselling and family counselling. As a professional counsellor she provides a supportive, understanding, professional and confidential environment to work with clients – Individuals and Couples explore their emotions, help them understand and manage their challenges, relationships and stress better.