The Frequency

Why Saying No Is Good For Your Health

Why Saying No Is Good For Your Health

In a society where we are expected to work 40-plus hours a week, sleep 56 and spend the other 72 hours investing in friends, relationships and maintaining our lives, saying “yes” can actually be detrimental to you, and the people in your life. If you are saying yes to everyone and everything in your life, chances are, you’re not investing your full energy into any of those people or activities. Saying no is actually good for your health, mentally, emotionally, and physically. Here are some ways that saying no is actually one of the most positive boundary-setting things you can do for yourself.

Allows You To Leave Authentically

One of the most powerful aspects of saying “no” is that it actually allows you to live your life in the most honest way possible. Many people aren’t honest in saying no for fear of hurting someone else’s feelings, or even the relationship itself. However, this approach can leave you feeling trapped and nervous. In her podcast “Boundaries,”Brooke Castillo, author and life coach, says “A lot of people think that what boundaries are are things that we do to control other people, and that is not the case. Boundaries are a way that we take care of and protect ourselves. We don’t create them for other people, we create them for ourselves.”

Instead of conjuring an excuse to miss dinner so that you can go grocery shopping, be honest with the people in your life by setting a boundary. Just say no. This one word allows you to live authentically, dispitating any negative feelings wrought from the pressure of disappointing someone else.

Gives You Back Your Time (Sleep, Quiet, Exercise)

Because of the extremely fast-paced lives that all of us are accustomed to, the idea of “free time” is typically a nice thought that is rarely available. In all of this running around, we can easily forget to take care of our basic biological needs. These include sleeping, exercising and taking time to be quiet or meditate.

According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, after several nights of losing sleep—even a loss of just 1–2 hours per night—your ability to function suffers as if you haven’t slept at all for a day or two.

The American Journal of Health Promotion relays research to show that practicing meditation can lower yearly doctor costs, compared with participants who didn’t practice meditation. Mayo clinic says that research suggests meditation may help with symptoms of conditions such as:

  • Anxiety
  • Asthma
  • Cancer
  • Chronic pain
  • Depression
  • Heart disease
  • High blood pressure
  • Irritable bowel syndrome
  • Sleep problems
  • Tension headaches

The benefits of exercise are many. They include combating health conditions, improving mood, boosting energy, controlling weight, promoting better sleep, and boosting an overall feeling of happiness.

Saying no to people or activities is a great way to take back some time. This time can be invested it in your physical well being. Time invested your overall well being is necessary for you to function at your highest ability.

Helps You Cognitively Function At Your Highest Level  

Allison Gabriel, an assistant professor of management at Virginia Commonwealth University says, “There is a lot of research that says we have a limited pool of cognitive resources. When you are constantly draining your resources, you are not being as productive as you can be. If you get depleted, we see performance decline. You’re able to persist less and have trouble solving tasks.”

Saying no allows you to refocus on the aspects of your life that are truly important. This drives more cognitive energy to these people and activities.

Improves Interactions With Others

Saying no provides many positive benefits for the speaker; but it also improves your interaction with others. Saying no allows you to invest your energy in the people and activities you have chosen to invest in. This gives you no excuse not to give your full attention, energy and gifts to these entities.

“We need to take full responsibility because when we start blaming other people and resenting other people, not only are we powerless but we’ve created this unnecessary conflict with somebody else,” Brooke Castillo says.

Be your best self by taking saying “no” in your life. We believe that when humans thrive, everything else prospers. Learn more at Beni.fit.

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