LPT: Make a small set of “default replies” so your mind gets a break (As-salamu alaykum)

As-salamu alaykum - I realized in my late twenties how much mental energy I was wasting just figuring out how to reply to people. Not the chats themselves, but that tiny pause of “how do I say no kindly,” “how do I push this off without sounding rude,” or “what can I say so I don’t commit right now.” It seems trivial, but when you face 15–20 of those little moments a day your mind feels drained. I noticed half my stress wasn’t what people were asking, it was inventing a polite sentence from scratch every single time. So I made a tiny list of go-to replies for when I’m tired, overwhelmed, or not mentally available - like a soft safety net for my social energy. Examples I use: “I’ll get back to you later, I’m in the middle of something,” “can’t today, maybe another time?”, “I need a bit more time to think about this,” “can we discuss this tomorrow?” They can sound a bit robotic sometimes, lol, but they do the job. I keep them in my notes app and either copy-paste or reword them a little when needed. The goal isn’t to be cold, it’s to stop reinventing the wheel every time someone asks “u free rn?” Having these default replies removed that pressure to be emotionally available 24/7. I reply quicker, stress less, and actually forget to reply less often, because a gentle “later” or “soft no” takes two seconds instead of a mental fight. Life feels lighter when your brain isn’t drafting replies all day - and a quick “JazakAllah khair for understanding” or “BarakAllahu feek for your patience” at the end can keep things kind and polite.