🤝 Care for Others
Caring for others does not only happen in professional roles.
It happens in families, friendships, and long-standing relationships where support has gradually become expected rather than chosen.
Over time, this can blur the line between care that is offered freely and care that is given at personal cost.
When Care Becomes Assumed
In many caring relationships, roles evolve quietly.
You may become:
- the organiser
- the listener
- the dependable one
- the person who copes
Often, no one explicitly asks for this. It simply happens — especially when you are capable, compassionate, and reliable.
But care that is continually assumed can begin to feel heavy.
The Cost of Invisible Care
Invisible care is rarely acknowledged, yet it consumes energy.
This may show up as:
- emotional fatigue
- resentment followed by guilt
- difficulty saying no
- a sense of being needed but not seen
None of this means you care less. It often means you have been caring without limits.
Boundaries Are Not Withdrawal
Setting boundaries does not mean abandoning others.
It means recognising that sustainable care requires:
- choice
- capacity
- mutual respect
Boundaries allow care to remain relational rather than sacrificial.
They protect connection rather than undermine it.
A Quiet Truth
Caring for others should not require the steady erosion of your health, identity, or peace.
When care begins to cost too much, it is not a sign that you should give more — but that something needs to change.