The Power of “No.”

By Suzette C. Boyette, APRN

According to an article in LIFE by Bruce Davis, PhD, the average person on a given day has anywhere from 50,000-70,000 thoughts PER DAY!!! Just imagine how many more a busy woman who juggles the obligations of a family, career, household, and more has in her multi-tasking head! All of this unfortunately leads to stress, so what can we do to decrease our stress? One solution is the simple 2 letter word NO.

Saying “no” is also a very efficient and effective sentence all by itself. When you’re asked to add ANOTHER thing to your already overflowing plate, just say “No.” You don’t have to make excuses like “I am so sorry, I can’t pick up Suzy after school because…, or I’d really love to volunteer for the field trip, but…, or I can’t really stay late because…” The ONE WORD SENTENCE can simply be “No.” If you really want to be kind, you can say “No, thank you. My schedule does not allow that.” Then smile politely and WALK AWAY. It is actually quite simple. The Mayo Clinic also states that saying no to obligations related to work, family, and/or school will give you: 1. More time to do what you want (like spend with family, start a new hobby, or sleep in). 2. Less regrets (like pur-suing that degree or volunteering at your child’s school). 3. Better health overall (improves sleep, immunity, attitude, productivity, joy, and content-ment). Put yourself first by saying “no” to things that do not fit into your schedule or that you do not want to do!