How to Go on a Mind Strike

Define boundaries at your job, and enforce them.

After date night, he locked his keys in his car. We’d been seeing each other for a while, and I had a big project due the next day — plus papers to grade. So I went back inside the coffee shop to work.

“That’s kind of cold,” he said. “You’re not going to wait with me?”

“I’m under some soul-crushing deadlines,” I begged. “I’ll make it up to you later. Promise.”

It just so happened that a friend of ours was also stopping by for a latte. Run-ins happen a lot in college towns. So my friend took it upon herself to wait with my fiance. Why? Emotional support, I guess. Because locking your keys in your car is such a traumatic experience.

They became friends. Overtime, they started discussing my emotional unavailability. You can guess where this led. My fiance and I didn’t last much longer. Mainly because I was too “cold.” He needed someone who would wait for the locksmith with him.

Someone who would always be there for him, even if he might never introduce you to his parents.

After the breakup, a miracle happened. Suddenly I felt lighter than ever. I had so much time and energy. My work improved. I started exercising more. People noticed. “You seem different,” my…