The Impact of Using ‘Yeah’ Too Often

If I had to give up one word that I use regularly, it would definitely be the word yeah.  I say it way too often—so much so that sometimes I even annoy myself with it.  It’s almost like my mouth has a mind of its own.  Someone asks me a question? Yeah.  Someone shares something with me? Yeah.  Someone says thank you? Yeah.  It’s become my automatic, go-to reaction for just about everything. 

The problem is, I know that “yeah” can come off as dismissive or even a little rude, especially in certain situations.  When I’m on the phone or in person, I’ll respond with “yeah” over and over again without realizing it.  It just spills out before I even process what I want to say.  And I’ve actually been called out on it before, which only makes me more aware of how often I lean on this one little word. 

I’ll be frank on this, I’m not about to give up my curse words.  Nope.  Those are way too valuable to me.  They’re my stress relief, my emotional outlet, my “I stubbed my toe” vocabulary.  Yeah isn’t nearly as powerful.  If I lose a swear word, I lose my ability to properly vent.  If I lose yeah, I’d probably just sound a little more polite and intentional. 

The part that bothers me most is how I often I use that word in moments that should probably call for something warmer.  For example, when I hold the door open for someone, they’ll say “thank you” and my automatic reply is, “Yeah, no problem,” or sometimes just flat out say “yeah.” I always catch myself afterward and think, Really? You couldn’t just say “you’re welcome” like a regular person does. 

I’m not saying that “yeah” is a bad word.  It’s casual and easy.  But for me, it’s become a filler.  Almost like this nervous tic that sneaks its way into conversations where a more thoughtful response would mean more.  Saying “yes” feels more intentional and saying “you’re welcome” feels kinder.  Saying “yeah” all the time feels…lazy.  

So, if I had to give up one word, it would be that one (I’ve already used it too much in this post).  Maybe I’ll learn to respond with a little more weight instead of defaulting to my verbal crutch.  Until then, I’ll keep catching myself, laughing at it, and trying, really trying, to switch it out every once in a while. But don’t worry, my curse words are safe.