How saying no can reduce your stress ...
You must stop saying "Yes" in order to reduce your stress level.
Saying "yes" when you want or need to say "no" - how does this affect your stress level?
The ability to say no is being proactive to avoiding overwhelm - it is your early warning system to prevent yourself from sinking under a pile of uncompleted tasks or activities. Why do we say yes instead of no? One big reason is to please other people, to be liked, to demonstrate that you are a team player or to prove yourself to others. A second big reason we say yes is to avoid conflict. Frequently it is perceived as easier to say yes than to argue or disagree on who’s responsibility it is to do this task or project. The third main reason we say yes instead of no is because of the perfectionist gene. You hear that inner voice that tells you that you are the only one who can do this well and get it done on time – so it is easier to do it than to ask for help or say no.
The good news is this ability to say yes or no is under your control. You can learn to say no. Here are three good questions to ask yourself before you commit to the next project or request. This is your first stress solution tip.
Here are two questions in practice that you might hear in the near future.
There is no right or wrong answer, just be very aware of how your answer will impact the rest of your day or schedule into the future.
Here is your second stress solution tip. Be aware of all of your current projects and obligations before you say yes to anything new. If you have a good list of your current projects and understand how much time you need to complete them - it makes it a lot easier to say no to a new thing.
The third stress reduction tip is to say maybe or no first. It is easier to say let me think about it and get back to you - than to say yes and then get upset about the impact on you - and go back and change your agreement to a no.
So start practicing how to reduce your stress by learning to say no. You deserve to protect yourself from overwhelm. Practice on small items - that are not emotionally significant - other people may be surprised and upset when you stop saying yes to any and all requests. Pay attention to what happens when you just give yourself some time to consider all the impacts before you say yes or no. This is just one of the 4 things I discussed in my VetVine education program on Stress Solutions. Listen in for more details on how to reduce your stress. Say no to overwhelm. Say yes to health and taking care of you as a gift that will last all year long.
