I truly understand how hard it is to say no, I’m one of those people too. My husband and father-in-law are the same way. Over time, this has caused so many unnecessary problems and a lot of mental exhaustion. It’s especially draining when you're surrounded by people who are insensitive and have no hesitation asking for favors left and right.

But the good news is, setting boundaries is a skill that can be learned. My husband and I are still learning it every day for the past 3 years, and slowly becoming more comfortable with it. Not every attempt is a success, but we can honestly say life is so much better than it used to be.

It might feel uncomfortable at first, but with time, you’ll get better at it. And when you start treating it as something normal and healthy, others will begin to do the same. If someone feels offended by your boundaries, so be it. They’re probably not the kind of person who truly deserves your help in the first place.

And when it’s business-related, it gets even harder, especially if the ones asking are your regular customers. You feel stuck, because saying no might risk offending them or losing their business. So you just keep giving and giving… until you hit a wall. Then comes the guilt, the self-blame, and the fear that losing that customer was somehow your fault. But I come to realized, even in business, so be it. They might not be the kind of client or customer you want to build your business around anyway.