Being yourself is scary for about a week. Faking it is exhausting forever.

Both options cost something, and the bills are shaped very differently. Dropping the act is sharp and short: a few awkward days, some people recalibrating, one or two who drift off. Maintaining a version of yourself is small and constant, a running tax on every conversation, and it never ends because the performance has to be kept up indefinitely.

Trade one for the other in a single setting this week rather than everywhere at once. One group, one week of being straightforward with them. Then decide which kind of tiredness you would rather carry.