I realised I had been clenching my jaw since morning

Dear Delyara, Not all the time consciously. Just enough that by late afternoon my face felt tired in a way that had nothing to do with smiling. I only noticed when I got into the car after work and my mouth softened on its own. It was such a clear sign that the day had been living in my body more than I admitted while I was inside it. Too many small pressures, too many contained reactions, too many moments of “just keep going.” That’s what gets me now. Not always the big stress. The accumulation of small holding. I sat there for a minute with my hands on the steering wheel and let my jaw unclench properly. Then I realised how long I must have been bracing without calling it that.