Some of us (I would actually venture most of us) have limited social batteries. We can’t go all day talking with people, especially people we don’t know that well, and come home and do some more talking. Most of us need some amount of alone time so we can recharge, regroup, and feel like ourselves again. If this sounds like you, odds are you’ve had some practice setting boundaries in this way. If we’re on a big trip with a bunch of people, we might say «I’m taking a recharge walk by myself, see y’all in a couple hours.» And if you’re clear and respectful about communicating your boundaries, then your friends have no choice but to respect them. 

The woman in this story, though, had a weird way of going about boundary setting. Instead of trying her best to participate in group activities when she could, she neglected all of them in favor of her crafting activity.