It's a little harder to say "Don't demand anything from me, my life is the opposite of a vacation right now."
Why should it be, though? Babies, new jobs, moving, working 2-3 jobs, family crises, severe illnesses, all can take us away from our regularly scheduled social and emotional availability. Even when we have "time" we do owe it to ourselves to recharge and rest THEN think about socialization.
One of the best things I was told long ago when I hit chronic illness issues was to just tell my friends I'm having problems. I went.. but well, why whine? They can't really help with them.
As a result of taking up that advice, though, I've avoided misunderstandings with friends, and of late, dealing with a family crisis, I've been blessed with support and no recriminations for being a bad friend, for the days I do not have the emotional energy to deal with anybody's problems on the top of the ones I have right now.
Have some not fully understood how deep I am in this? Yes. Do I get upset? Nah. I am polite in saying I can't do this or that because my emotional energy is fully occupied at the moment.
If they ask of me without acknowledging, even after being told, I, in fact, have more important things going on, maybe, than what they want me to do, that's time to throw them out of the airlock. I've not had to airlock any good friends.
One acquaintance, yes, who chose just the worst day possible after not contacting me for months, to ask something of me.
"I'm sorry, Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that," and briefly explained why.
I got just spam, not even aimed to me alone-- so airlock time.
Incidentally, as "soul cleansing exercises" go, mentally visualizing people ejected out of an airlock, fully suited and screaming silently (in space nobody can hear you scream) is just soothing. (I may be more like HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey than I thought.)
Cold. Probably means that my soul is a leaky spaceship with cold silicon at the helm, but it's all I got and I'm just trying to stay alive until we get to the destination. (When did I start recycling song lyrics in my writing? Next I'll be writing Vulcan country music.)
Have, for instance, some people hurt me by rudely staying silent even when directly told? Not even a "yeah, that sucks?" Of course. But then, I ask myself, what do I know of THEIR current problems? And that answers that.
Some acquaintances whom I didn't think would pay much attention, have been surprisingly empathetic and extended their empathy, and I appreciate that, too.
It restores faith in humanity and makes me feel like I'm still part of the human species and this Spaceship Earth is still a decent sort of place.
Thanks, y'all.