6 sacrifices you should never make

4. Don't give up your home or any part of it to someone you don't trust completely
We've all heard the story, or even experienced the house guest who wouldn't leave. Or the person who house-sits while you're away and leaves the place a total mess. It can seem like a nice way to help a person out, but be wary of giving up your home, or even your couch, unless you trust your potential house guest implicitly, Belleghem says.

Being too much of a helper without knowing who you can trust someone can lead to people taking advantage of you, Belleghem says. "You really need to have a good relationship with someone in order to let them into your home."

5. Avoid giving away too much of yourself
It can be easy to get so wrapped up in everyone else's problems that you completely neglect your own needs. Take care of yourself first, Belleghem says. Before you look at everyone else's sob story, think about how much of yourself you can afford to give, either emotionally, physically or intellectually.

It's great to be there for others, but before you try to fix everyone else's problems, check in with yourself. Ask yourself how you're feeling. Are you under stress? How is your energy level? Is there anything you can do to improve yourself before expending time and energy on others? We're not suggesting you become entirely selfish, just that you ensure there is time for you built into the time you spend on others.

6. Don't give up your belief system
As we become adults we assess the beliefs instilled in us as children and decide if we want to keep them as our own, Belleghem explains. This could be something as complicated as religious beliefs, or as simple as eating French fries with your fingers versus using a fork.

If you believe fries are best consumed as a finger food, so be it. You shouldn't have to compromise that, even if you get a sideways glance from your mother-in-law while out for dinner. "The creation of your own belief system is such an important developmental growth phase as you become an adult," Belleghem says.

You may also decide to raise your children differently than your parents raised you, or decorate your home in a way your parents hate. But in the end, once you have established your own belief system, it's important not to give in to someone else, Belleghem says.

Read more:
• What's the harshest advice you ever received?
• The dos and don'ts of being a good friend
• Top 10 reasons you need a best friend

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