14/11/2025
Saying “yes” when your whole body is screaming “no” is not harmless.
It’s actually a nervous system event.
Every time you override your own needs to keep the peace, avoid disappointing someone, or “be easy”… your brain logs a message:
“My needs don’t matter. Other people come first.”
Do that enough times and it stops being a moment — it becomes a belief.
And that belief shows up in the body as tension, anxiety, shutdown, resentment, poor sleep and that constant hum of “I’m not safe.”
This time of year makes it worse.
The silly season comes with all the generational conditioning:
⚬ Say yes
⚬ Show up
⚬ Don’t rock the boat
⚬ Do it because it’s expected
But here’s the truth — your nervous system doesn’t care about keeping up traditions.
It cares about keeping you regulated.
You’re allowed to choose rest.
You’re allowed to decline things that drain you.
You’re allowed to break patterns your family handed down.
This season doesn’t have to hijack your nervous system.
It can be the start of you choosing safety, calm, and a life where your “yes” actually means yes.