JENNY23 wrote: Why should I make myself unwell to ensure the wellness of others and why must I be made to feel bad for trying to put myself first for once and trying to have my own life...
You don’t. That is a common misunderstanding. You actually do others and the community a disservice when you don’t first take care of yourself.
I was in the military and then law enforcement. In both professions, you don’t sacrifice yourself as all that does is result in two people in need of help instead of only one. When you don’t take care of yourself, you end up with two casualties in need of rescue,
It can be difficult, but establish hard limits. Establish firm boundaries of what you are capable of giving and sustaining without taking yourself out of action. If this means you need 2 hours of exclusive “me time” each day then stick to that rule. Maybe you need more, maybe less. If sacrificing 20% of your income is sustainable, then do that but not a single penny more. If it means having someone else take care of XYZ for gran and you do ABC, then do that.
In other words, do what you can, but don’t fall on your sword. It does no one any favors.