I am definitely the kind of person who has overly prioritized taking care of others over myself my whole life. While it can feel selfish or shameful to think about our own needs, we can't be there for other people if we are not taking care of ourselves. I kept getting mad at myself for what seemed to be a never-ending cycle of caring for someone a lot and then, over time, them seeing me less as a friend and more as a tool that can be useful. I often played into it myself since I believed people would at least stick around longer if I were useful. This only ended with ruined friendships and toxic relationships. Over time, I've started managing my energy output better and providing high-quality support to people I care about without draining my own reserves. I've learned to set personal boundaries to protect myself and identify whether I am offering something because it's needed or because I'm feeling anxious or insecure about the relationship.