Week 10: Friendship Communication & Boundaries
Friendship Communication Audit
Instructions
This activity helps you examine your friendship patterns and develop boundary-setting skills. Take 20-25 minutes to reflect thoughtfully on each prompt.
1Practice Prompt
Create a rough map of your current friendships by category (acquaintances, casual friends, close friends, best friends). For each category, what communication patterns are typical? How much self-disclosure, how frequent contact, what topics?
You don't need to name names - focus on patterns and what distinguishes each level for you.
2Practice Prompt
Think about your closest friendship. What are the unwritten rules of that friendship? When have those rules been tested or challenged? How did you and your friend navigate that?
Rules might relate to loyalty, time, communication, topics, or how you handle each other's other relationships.
3Practice Prompt
Identify a boundary you need to set or reinforce in a friendship. Write out what you would actually say, including: the specific boundary, brief explanation of your need, and kind but clear language.
This could be about time, emotional energy, certain topics, or specific behaviors.
4Practice Prompt
Think about a friendship that changed significantly (for better or worse) through a life transition. What communication contributed to that change? What might you do differently to maintain important friendships through future transitions?
Transitions include moves, new jobs, relationships, parenthood, health changes, or any major life shift.