The other day the topic of anxiety and the feeling of being overwhelmed came up during a discussion with friends. As the discussion evolved as to what were the sources of these feelings: work, relationships, responsibilities, I asked how comfortable they are with saying no. Turns out, some people aren’t comfortable at all with saying no and find themselves overextending themselves and sacrificing their feelings for others. The interesting thing, I had a similar conversation with a group of teens a few months back and they also confessed about having difficulty saying no for fear of hurting others.
So why is that? Why is it hard to say no?
Have you ever found yourself feeling uncomfortable saying no? Maybe you are afraid to let someone down? Perhaps you don’t want to come across as not being a team player? Or maybe you feel nervous about people’s reactions if you actually did say no? What might happen?
I know it might sound a bit corny, but I believe that sometimes when we say “no” to others we are actually saying “yes” to ourselves.
The truth is we can’t do everything for everybody, and being all things to everyone is simply unrealistic. It’s important to commit to do what you truly believe in and want to do and give it 100%. If you aren’t sure what your answer is a simple “I’ll think about it and get back to you” can give you time to reflect and give an honest response. But doing simply because you think you “have to” is coming from a mindset of lack. When we finding ourselves acting on “have-to” and “should” the results are anxiousness, resentment and overwhelm.
It is time to flip the script. My challenge to you is to say “yes” to what you truly want and believe and say “no” to what doesn’t fall in alignment with whatever path you are on. If you have any questions reach out and schedule a complimentary Power Session so we can get you on the path of empowerment.
If you need help speaking for yourself, schedule a 30-minute Power Session. CLICK HERE
Much Love,
Andrea
