Are you someone who feels obligated to agree to every single request that comes your way? Thinking that you should do something for someone when you don’t really want to can be extremely damaging for your mental health. It isn’t uncommon for people who have a problem saying no to always help others at the expense of their own sanity, be left with little to no time for themselves, become drained with little energy left for things they need to get done, be stressed and start feeling overwhelmed. If you find yourself juggling hundreds of different things rather than simply saying the word “no,” please stop! Learn to say no! Saying no is not mean or rude. Saying no doesn’t mean you don’t care for the person asking. Saying no does not mean you are selfish. Saying no means you are willing to recognize that you can’t be everything for everyone all the time.
There are a few essential ways that your life can benefit from saying no whenever needed. Saying no allows you to:
Set boundaries in relationships
Setting boundaries in relationships can allow you to maintain healthy relationships with others and yourself. We have been conditioned to think that setting boundaries is selfish. This is not the case! You, just as much as everyone else, deserve to have limits of things you are willing and not willing to do. Since it is impossible for others to read our minds, it is up to us to communicate our boundaries by saying no to things which we don’t have the time to spare for or simply just don’t want to do. Plus, by saying no you will see which of your relationships are solid and which ones were just taking advantage of your inability to say no
Recharge
It’s easy to fall into the trap of taking on too many commitments. However, saying yes to everything and everyone, especially when you don’t have time to spare, will end up placing a huge strain on both your time and energy. If you constantly put the needs of others over your own, both your productivity and mental health will suffer. Giving yourself a chance to catch up is not only important for your health but also for your productivity, career, success, and the overall well-being of your life. Recharging and resetting your emotional and physical health are important for all areas of our lives. You cannot pour from an empty cup.
Show others (and yourself) that your time and energy is just as important as everyone else’s
We teach others how to treat us, we teach them what is and what isn’t acceptable when dealing with us. By never saying no and sacrificing yourself to do everything someone is asking for, you teach them that their needs prioritize yours. By saying no to things that do not serve you, you are demonstrating that your time is worth preserving. Everyone only has 24 hours every day and 7 days each week. This means we have to choose the things we spend time on and what should always come first is yourself!
Believe it or not; you can still be a kind-hearted and giving person and still say no. Saying no does not mean that you don’t care about the person asking you for help. It just means that you might not have time to give away right now. And that’s okay. Saying no can take lots of practice and implementation. But much like anything in this life, it is not impossible. You deserve the time and energy you are giving so freely to others. It’s okay to say no when you need to, and by doing so you are inadvertently saying yes to yourself, your needs, and your own well-being.
