Assertive Boundaries Sometimes it is hard to find the words when we want to put a boundary in place. Here are some ideas: Thank you for your opinion, but this is my decision. I’m not comfortable talking about (John) with you; please speak directly to him. I don’t look at work emails after 8 pm. I’ll check them in the morning. I’ll leave this conversation if you continue to … shout/be critical of me / name-calling. Let me think about it, and I’ll get back to you. I need a break from this issue. Let’s come back to it later tonight.