So much of what women carry is invisible. And heavy.
The mental load. The emotional load. The default parent.

Often, the people around us don’t see it—because someone else is quietly taking care of it all. But we can’t do everything—nor should we.

The hard truth is that protecting ourselves starts with boundaries. They’re not easy, though. You can’t really soft launch them. Most of the time, they require drawing a line in the sand: This is where it stops.

For me, that has looked like:

• Refusing to answer work emails after 4 p.m.
  
• Leaving my laptop at home on vacation.
  
• Saying “No” without a follow-up explanation.
  

That last one still makes me squirm. We’re conditioned to be agreeable, to justify, to explain. But “No” is not an invitation for negotiation. It does not mean “Convince me.” It is a complete sentence.

And yet, even knowing that, it’s hard. Why? Because so many of us are working a “second shift” at home—managing the house, the schedules, the meals, the relationships. We’ve been conditioned to work twice as hard for half the recognition. And we don’t want to let anyone down.

But at the end of the day, it comes down to priorities. Your time. Your energy. They’re precious commodities. Guard them fiercely. Guard them with your life.

Lately, I’ve been practicing presence. My kids have been going through a big transition, and I made a conscious choice to be there for them. That means saying no to things that distract me—even if they seem small, like answering a text the second it pings. Because if I’m too busy trying to be everything for everyone else, I’ll miss the chance to be the most important thing to the people who need me most.

It’s not easy. In fact, it’s probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever tried to practice. But I’m learning that boundaries aren’t about shutting people out—they’re about protecting what matters most.

So I’ll leave you with this:
What boundary do you need to draw right now? Where do you need to say, “This is enough”?