31 Days of Self Love - Day 10

How can you set better boundaries in your life? I feel like this is also something I have made great strides in these last few years. I used to jump at the drop of a hat to go and try to help other people with things. I would put myself last, to the point that it became detrimental to my mental and physical health. I no longer push myself to be on the go constantly, tending to other peoples' needs.

My biggest thing I probably need to work on - as ridiculous as it sounds - is setting boundaries with the pet rescue people I've gotten to know. It's hard when people know how big your heart is, and how much you want to help - they take full advantage of that. I've already had to tell multiple people to not even think of me if another cat needs a home. Adopting special needs cats has somehow become a full-time job (and an ever-growing expense). I've recently dealt with a group of people who were not remotely honest about the status of a cat they needed a home for. "Friendly" and "healthy" are definitely not words that I personally would use to describe her. I'm working hard on telling people like this "no," and doing what's best for me, my personal welfare, and the health and welfare of the pets who are already in my home. It's been hard to set boundaries with these people when they come to you telling you that they'll have a cat euthanized if you won't take it. Quit tugging at my heart strings, and find someone else, please.

I also need to work on setting boundaries at work. I'm somehow one of the suckers who'll always get easily roped in to staying late, to helping somewhere else in the building, to answering calls that no one else feels like answering. It's hard when you're nice, and genuinely don't mind helping others, or doing other things at work - but it gets tiring when you're there, doing what needs to be done well past your shift, while others are skating out a few minutes early, with no regard to the greater good of the building. It's becoming increasingly harder to care when others clearly don't. I feel like it needs to become increasingly easier for me to say "no, I can't stay" in some sort of respectful manner. Sorry, work, but you hardly make it worth my time or my effort.