In this more connected world, we tend to feel obligated to make ourselves accessible at all times. But the truth is it’s okay, even necessary, to set some boundaries in relation to our contact with other people.

It’s okay to leave your cell phone at home sometimes. It’s okay to unplug your landline for a while. It’s probably okay to not look at your email today. It’s okay to not answer the door for the Jehovah’s Witness. It’s okay to not go to the party you were invited to. It’s okay to set these types of boundaries and not feel bad about it or justify it to anyone.

When we were kids we learned that we shouldn’t let peer pressure cause us to do things that aren’t in our best interest. And we teach our own children the same thing. Yet we tend to think this advice doesn’t apply to adult situations.

The most important person you need to spend time with is yourself. Which is something many people are afraid to do. They’re afraid of what they might find inside. But we’re not ourselves if we don’t take the time to get to know ourselves. And if we don’t know ourselves, we tend to live a life that serves not necessarily the needs, but the demands of others.