The Man MakesA flooded mind cannot stand its ground. Clear the ground first.
Guard your mind the way you would guard your land. Let everyone's expectations camp inside your head and there is no ground left to stand on, and no quiet left to think.
A man makes his well-being and his clarity a priority — above the pings, above the demands, above the pressure to be endlessly available. This is not softness; it is the precondition for everything else. A clear mind makes good decisions. A flooded one only reacts. The man who answers every notification and absorbs every opinion ends up busy and empty, mistaking being needed for being well. He protects his peace not to escape the world, but so he can meet it as himself.
The Stoic source
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 7.67Always bear this in mind; and another thing too, that very little indeed is necessary for living a happy life.
Translated by George Long
The Scripture
Proverbs 4:23, KJVKeep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
The move
Name one expectation that isn't yours and is draining you. Decline it once, calmly, without the long explanation. Protect the ground.