Being friendly and supportive in the workplace is a wonderful trait… until someone takes advantage.

If your new coworker kept asking you questions, would you be happy to help, or would you get really annoyed?

This woman willingly assisted and taught a newer coworker on their shared client account.

Even after she moved to another account, she continued to support the coworker and answered her questions.

But eventually she got sick of all the questions. Was distancing herself from this coworker the right move or the wrong one?

Check out the full story below for all the details.

AITA for being cold and distant to my coworker

I work at a marketing agency office.

My coworker has been with the agency for 3 years but only joined our current client account 3 months ago.

We sit beside each other, and I was assigned to help train her.

I gave her a full month of support, including training videos, checklists, and real-time guidance.

This woman still answered her coworker’s questions even if she was already working on a different account.

Even when I was doing work for a different client on half shifts, I still took the time to answer her questions.

In hindsight, I feel like I ignored my own boundaries just to be helpful.

She’s been on the account for 3 months, but she still asks questions that could be answered just by reading, checking past instructions, or thinking things through.

We even have step-by-step lists easily accessible.

She felt like her coworker wasn’t making any effort to learn on her own.

It doesn’t feel like she’s trying to be independent. It feels like she’s overly reliant on me, and it’s mentally exhausting.

I eventually told our supervisor that I was having trouble focusing because of the constant interruptions.

Since then, her questions have lessened a bit, which has helped.

But she still asks an average of 6 questions a day, some of which would take a 5-minute demonstration.

She once raised her voice to her because she wasn’t feeling well.

I’ve been so stressed lately I’ve become emotionally distant and stopped making small talk. I only interact very briefly when necessary.

I raised my voice once because I was unwell and experiencing hyperventilation from stress.

I said, “Wait, I’m not feeling well!” Because I just couldn’t handle the overstimulation in that moment.

Now, she feels guilty for being cold and distant.

I feel a little guilty for being cold, but I also think I’ve done more than enough.

I need space to do my own job properly and protect my peace.

AITA for pulling away and not being more friendly or patient anymore? Or is it fair to set that boundary after months of helping someone who doesn’t seem to want to stand on her own?

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Is she right to feel guilty, or is she right to pull away?

Let’s read the responses of other people on Reddit to this story.

This person makes a valid point.

Here’s a personal thought from this person.

This user gives their honest opinion.

Short and sweet remark from this person.

Finally, this person offers a friendly suggestion.

Helping others is great, but knowing when to step back is essential for your own well-being.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check out what happened when a family gave their in-laws a free place to stay in exchange for babysitting, but things changed when they don’t hold up their end of the bargain.