Boundary Basics: 25 Scripts That Work

You know you need boundaries.

But when the moment comes—your boss asks you to stay late again, your partner keeps pushing past your limits, your friend calls in full crisis mode at midnight—you freeze.

What do you actually say?

This isn’t a motivational speech.

It’s a tool for the real moments when you’re tired, overwhelmed, and tempted to say yes just to make the discomfort stop.

Created by a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 15+ years of experience supporting high-functioning, emotionally overwhelmed adults, this guide gives you:

✅ 25 clear, respectful scripts for real-life moments

✅ No therapy jargon, no backstories — just words that work

✅ Language that honors your emotional capacity, not just performance

✅ A tone that’s kind but not soft — firm without being cruel

WHAT YOU GET:

📋 25 proven boundary scripts organized by situation:

• Work (late-night requests, extra tasks, covering for others)
• Family (guilt trips, unsolicited advice, drama triangulation)
• Relationships (emotional dumping, people-pleasing, pushback)
• Self-care (downtime, alone time, rest without justifying)

📋 One-page Cheat Sheet: What to Say When They Push Back

📋 Fill-in-the-blank Personal Boundary Script Builder

📋 Practice guide with tone and follow-through tips

WHO THIS IS FOR:

• Women, men, and couples who are emotionally overwhelmed
• People who shut down or overexplain under pressure
• The “strong ones” who silently carry everything
• Anyone who struggles to say no without guilt
• Those who want boundaries that actually sound like them

WHY THIS WORKS:

❌ No rehearsed backstories

❌ No harsh language that damages trust

❌ No fluffy therapy-speak that doesn’t land in real life

✅ Just clear language for hard moments

✅ Grounded in real clinical experience and emotional depth

✅ Prepares you for the pushback that usually makes you fold

“Boundaries aren’t for protecting peace. They’re for practicing honesty.”

— Cheryl McBryde-Pitter, LCSW

INSTANT DOWNLOAD

📱 12-page PDF

📱 Mobile- and print-friendly

📱 Lifetime access — re-download anytime

Stop rehearsing conversations in your head.

Start having them — without guilt, shutdown, or shame.