Your peace is worth protecting

When your Great Aunt Edna calls and you let it go to voicemail, that isn't rejection – it's self-preservation. "Aunt Edna" can be anyone whose problems go beyond what you are called to deal with.

Examples: the friend who stays stuck in a dead-end relationship, and never tires of telling you about it. The adult who asks you for a loan or handout (again). Anyone who describes their medical drama in graphic detail, without asking first.

It's okay to say "No."

It isn't that you don't love Aunt Edna. Or that you're a bad human. But just like everyone else, you have limits.

So maybe you don't ignore your friend or aging relative, but you call them back at a time that works for you. Or when someone starts telling you about their (fill-in-the-blank)-ectomy, you simply stop and gently redirect the conversation.

Self-preservation is good and necessary. It may take practice, but keep making it a priority. Tonight when your head hits the pillow, you'll be grateful that you did.