Life is really crazy, especially this time of year. But it doesn’t have to be! If you’ve been adding more and more to your plate and now it’s overflowing, maybe it’s time to check in with yourself and start saying no!

Are you doing too much?

A while back, I was taking on so much that my life felt out of control. It was taking a toll on my family, my sanity, and my physical well being. So I made some adjustments and I also made a promise to myself that I’d never get back to that place.

Well, I gradually crept back to taking on too much. Not to the level that I was at years ago, but close enough to make me stop and reevaluate everything I was taking on. I’d said yes to so many different things that I was passionate about, but that slow addition of more and more onto my plate again started to take its toll.

Stop. Collaborate with yourself. And listen.

So what did I do? I sat down and had a conversation with myself. And once I paused and looked inward with real honesty, I realized that it was time for me to step back from some things. Even some things that I’d been part of for a really long time.

I stepped back from a format at the gym that I’ve been teaching for more than twelve years! It was my first love. But it took so much brain power to do, that I wasn’t able to do it as well as I wanted. And worse, I was beating myself up for not having the time to do it as well as I wanted.

I also stepped back from some networking groups. And that was a tough decision because I’ve been part of those groups for many years with dear, dear friends. 

I looked at all of these things I was doing in my life and recognized that there’s a season for all of it. And the season for some of these things had come to an end.

Sometimes saying no is self-care

If you’re in that position, I understand the stress and angst of not wanting to let people down. And I understand the frustration of wanting to do all the things you enjoy (or maybe used to enjoy). But the reality is that you are only one person. And there are only 24 hours in a day. When you stretch yourself too thin, you take away your ability to be there for the people you want to be at your best for. And you take a toll on your mental health.

So maybe it’s time to pause, have a conversation with yourself, and start saying no. I said no and it was really hard. But once I made that decision, I felt better. I felt lighter. It turns out that I didn’t regret saying, “I’m sorry, I can’t do that anymore.”

Go say no to some things! It feels really good and it’s a huge part of self-care. Understanding what you need for yourself, what makes your world good and what draws away from it, is how self-care starts. So check in with yourself, and be sure to let me know what you end up saying no to!

For more self-care resources, register for my “Self-Care Without Sacrifice” micro audio summit! It’s available now! This FREE summit is focused on learning the secrets that make it possible for you to do all the things AND prioritize your self-care. Registration is only open until December 17th, so sign up for it while you can!