“It’s my job to make everyone comfortable.”

When your voice says:

“I have to keep everyone happy.”

“My needs can wait. Their comfort comes first.”

Coach Lynn says:

You can be respectful without managing every feeling in the room. Other people’s emotions are real, but they are not all yours to solve.

Then you say:

Here’s what I need to do:

• Take one or more Composure Breaths to settle my body.
• Decide what I need to say and put it in one sentence, such as: "I can't take this on this week."
• Remind myself: "Their reaction is theirs to feel. I can be kind without fixing it."
• Say my limit warmly and plainly, without over-apologizing: "I wish I could help, and I can't this time."

Coach Lynn says:

Other people's feelings matter, but they aren't yours to manage. When you state your limit kindly and let others own their reactions, you stay honest without giving yourself away.