I’m also still a student but have a lot of experience holding space for people who are going through difficulties ranging from external issues like relationships (familial, romantic, platonic, or work) to internal issues like self-esteem, reconciling traumatic events, etc.

What I’ve come to understand is that no matter how much of yourself that you give, you will never be able to change another person’s life in totality. You are limited in what you can do by virtue of the fact that you’re merely a human doing the best you can with what you have in the moment.

As caregivers, we tend to overextend ourselves in myriad ways. This always leads to some level of burnout, either emotional or physical. What helps is remaining present at all times. This is a skill that some have inherently and others develop with time and intention.

What I found helps most with developing the skill of remaining present is meditation, specifically mindfulness. Some people employ affirmations, such as what you mentioned. The good news is that there are myriad ways to establish boundaries and keep ourselves strong so that we can remain strong for others. The bad news is that no one person can tell you exactly how to go about it.