You’re definitely doing the right thing! The best way to be there for others is to be there for yourself as well, anyone who wants you to sacrifice your own well-being to accommodate them is being selfish.

A couple years ago one of my friends was going through a very traumatic time in her life and she depended on me a lot as someone to talk to and vent her frustrations. I wanted to be there for her but it was also hard for me because her depression was contagious, and after some time I found myself being dragged down by her sadness. I had to let her know that I couldn’t be available to her all the time and she definitely respected that.

It’s nice to be the friend who can lend an ear, but sometimes you just have to remind people that you’ve got needs too.