The art of saying NO

It’s easy to get so wrapped up in being physically healthy, we forget to be emotionally healthy. Saying no will help you keep the two balanced.

One of the most important things I have realized after a spending a decade of my time in the wellness field is that I forget to focus on my emotional health. And I know a lot of other people are in my same situation. People in the wellness field are great when it comes to eating right, working out, and sleeping right. But we sometimes get a little one-sided. What does this mean? It simply means we forget to nurture our emotions, and we sometimes add more to our plates than we should. We get frustrated, stressed out, and our solution is to go for a run or hike or drink green juices to feel better. But, let’s be honest; that’s not the real solution. It all boils down to the power of saying NO.

The word NO has a lot of negativity attached to it. Why? Because it generally indicates that you are less caring or are stubborn or mostly selfish. Now, this is what a third person thinks. If you point this NO inwards, it becomes about power. It becomes about you taking care of yourself, it’s about you taking control, it’s about you setting boundaries, and it’s about you staying true to yourself and being happy with it. Here are a few times when the word NO is to be used for your own good.

Boundaries

Yes, this is probably the most important one of all. Saying No when someone does something to invade your privacy or when someone treats you the way you don’t like. You say, No, I won’t let the person affect me. I will not give them the power to ruin my emotions or the power to belittle me. This is when you take control and tell the person how you want to be treated.

Over-Committing

We all want to be nice. We want to help and extend ourselves, so people can see the good in us and also because that makes us feel better. But, there are times when you over commit and that hurts you. Example: you want to keep a friend happy but don’t want to drive up 20 miles for dinner because you really don’t have time with everything else you’re doing. You still say yes, but you are not happy with it. This is not the extreme case, but you get it. You don’t have to force yourself. If it’s not urgent, it’s okay to rearrange the plans and make up for it when it works for everyone.

Pushing Your Own Buttons

We all get into the mode where we push ourselves more than what’s normal. This specifically goes to all the Type A personalities. We want to do it all, and be perfect as possible while doing it. Sadly, this is not always what will work best for you. With my own experience, I can assure you that the most powerful thing you can tell yourself is NO. It can start as simple as taking one thing off your to-do list that isn’t vital because it makes you stressed and limits your ability to be your best for the other things on your to do list.

The art of saying NO is not about making you a bad person. It’s about you being true to yourself and others even if it rocks the boat. It’s a way to add more positive thoughts and actions in your life.

It is about honesty and staying raw at all times.

Stay positive. Stay healthy.

Check out these other ways you can stay emotionally balanced!