A limit can be practical without becoming a statement about how much you care.

Not everything you cannot do means something. When you say no to the visit, the loan, the extra shift, people sometimes read it as a measurement of the relationship, and you can start reading it that way yourself. But limits usually come from ordinary arithmetic: the hours, the money, the energy left after the rest of the week. Treating them as declarations of love turns a scheduling problem into a referendum.

When you give a limit this week, say what it is and leave the affection unqualified. Something like: I cannot do Saturday, and I want to see you. Say the same thing to yourself when someone gives you one.