By Michelle, a loveisrespect advocate 

If you’ve spent some time on our site or spoken with one of our advocates, you’ve probably heard the words “boundaries” and “expectations” thrown around a lot. Understanding these concepts and being able to talk to your partner about them is important for any relationship to be healthy.  

But aren’t these two ideas pretty similar? What exactly is the difference between setting boundaries and defining expectations? What about broken boundaries vs. unmet expectations? It can definitely get a little confusing, so let’s get into it.