If you’re the one everyone leans on, the one who steps in to smooth things over, calm tempers, or solve problems no one asked you to solve—you might be living in the “fixer” role. And if you’re reading this, I imagine you’re exhausted by it.

I know that place intimately. I spent years believing it was my job to hold everyone else’s emotions, to make things okay. I thought if I could just keep the peace, hold the container, anticipate needs—then I’d finally feel safe, worthy, or loved. The truth? The more I carried, the heavier and lonelier it became.