Occupancy limit signs are everywhere. You see them at bars, grocery stores, and restaurants. They convey the number of people who can safely occupy the space at the same time. Some of the biggest tragedies have come from exceeding the occupancy limit. I believe we also have occupancy limits on the number and type of people we have in our lives.
Some of our inherent insecurities can push us to continue to allow more people into our lives under the guise of them all liking us and being our “friends.” The reality is we only have a finite amount of emotional and mental bandwidth available relative to our space. Face it, not everyone can be our best friend or even a friend. Both terms get used quite loosely, in my opinion. I have probably four people I would consider best friends that I trust with my life, another handful of actual friends that I really enjoy being around and there are many more acquaintances. I am not being disrespectful or stand offish, but I have learned I can only accommodate so many people before it affects me on all levels. If I attempt to or do exceed my occupancy limits, all sorts of less than good things happen. I get anxious, stressed, bitchy, and sometimes just shut down.
Take some time identify your best friends, friends, and acquaintances then think about how the people in each category make you feel or affect your life. It might just be time to adjust your occupancy limits. Remember, there are only so many seats at your table.
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