I noticed how quickly guilt entered the room

Dear Delyara, I said no to something small today and felt guilty almost instantly. The other person was fine. The situation was fine. Nothing dramatic followed. And still, my body reacted like I had done something morally wrong instead of simply having a limit. It’s exhausting how quickly guilt still arrives around ordinary self-protection. I know boundaries are healthy. My nervous system still sometimes treats them like betrayal. That gap between knowledge and feeling is tiring.