Even good boundaries still leave me feeling slightly guilty

Dear Delyara, I can say no, leave early, not answer that night, choose not to go, protect my rest, step back from noise — all sensible things, all often healthy things — and still some old inner authority starts acting as if I’ve committed a moral error. It wants proof I was tired enough. Proof I was hurt enough. Proof I tried hard enough before declining. I know that voice is old. I still hear it after good decisions more often than I want to admit.