01/26/2025
Self-Care Saturday #5
Activity: “NO” Day - Say no to anything that doesn’t align with self-care!
Many of us overextend ourselves way too often, neglecting our own needs and self-care. Although this is more common in “people pleasers” than anyone else, it happens to everyone. We often put the needs of others before our own. Some of us may even feel guilt for saying no to things others request or ask of us. All of this usually stems from low self-esteem or self-worth, the inability to set healthy boundaries or the false beliefs that we don’t matter, our needs aren’t important and that we’re here to serve everyone else. Where it is nice to be a humanitarian when able, it isn’t in our best interest to neglect our own needs or self-care, as this will only result in unpleasant and heavy emotions, such as the feeling of resentment or guilt.
When we fail to address our own mental health, physical needs and self-care, it has a negative ripple effect on ourselves and the ones we love. Today is about saying NO to anything that doesn't serve you. Time to put yourself first and make decisions based on what feels right for YOU, not what appeases someone else (or your ego). For those of us who are people pleasers, this can be really difficult at first. In time, you will learn that putting yourself first means being able to offer more to yourself, your loved ones, and the world as a whole.
When we set healthy boundaries, we initiate the healing process. By putting ourselves first, we reclaim our power. And as many of us know - when we heal ourselves, we heal others.
Benefits of saying no:
Improving mental health, Reducing stress and anxiety, Increasing productivity, Better time management, Improving self-esteem and self-trust, Improving relationships, Creates new opportunities
One important thing to remember is that sometimes we agree to doing something when (at the time) we felt we were able to. Sometimes, life happens and later on we have to change our commitments. It can be especially hard to say no in these situations, as it triggers a whole plethora of uncomfortable emotions. However, when we communicate effectively with the person or persons we promised something to, it can reduce some of those heavy feelings and can welcome in unconditional self-forgiveness and improve our relationships at the same time.
Say, for example, you planned a super cool event for Saturday. You have been excited for this event for about a month and have prepared everything for the event. On the day of the event, you end up not getting any sleep, not feeling in a good mood, and beginning to wonder if it’s still something that would benefit you. No one at the event will be too sad if you don’t show up, but you really wanted to go and have a good time! You may have even invested money in pre-paying for the event. Now that you’re in full blown panic mode, you feel pressured into going “because you said you would,” but now, things have changed, and the event that was going to be fun now seems like more trouble than it’s worth. Now you’re having a panic attack just THINKING about going. This is when saying NO is essential. This is when unconditional forgiveness fuels self-care and healthy boundaries. Once the initial feelings of guilt and disappointment fade away, you can remind yourself that setting healthy boundaries is a good thing. Knowing your limits speaks volumes on self-awareness. Communicating to those involved with the event also shows respect to the people who were expecting you. Avoiding that key communication could lead to further guilt and lowered self-esteem down the line, so ensure that you take accountability by setting healthy boundaries.
What did you say no to today?
Saturdays are for Self-Care!
