Your mouth said “sure,” but your shoulders said “please no.” Start listening to your shoulders.

The body registers reluctance before the mind approves anything, and the gap between the two is where most unwanted commitments get made. Tightening, a held breath, a drop in the chest: these arrive before you have argued yourself into it. They are not always right, and they are always worth checking.

Pause once this week between being asked and answering, and notice what your body did first. If the answer came out different from what you felt, ask why. Use a delay next time so the two have a chance to agree.