It takes five seconds to say yes.
It often takes five years to undo it.
Boundaries aren’t built in big declarations. They’re practiced, daily, in the small pauses where you feel tension rising and agreement slipping out.
Next time you feel the pull to say yes—when you’re already stretched, tired, or distracted—give yourself five minutes. Step away if you can. Take a breath. Ask: Do I actually want this? Will it cost me more than I have to give?
That space—those five minutes—is where your boundary lives.
And every time you choose from alignment, not obligation, you reclaim your energy.