Learning to say No is one of the most difficult things for me as a people pleaser. But I am actively working on saying No more often.

I watched my Mum make herself ill by not saying No and I have been reminded of this over the last week. The thing is we can say no, and this doesn’t mean we don’t want to do something, it just means we don’t want to do it now.

When you find it difficult to say no, it can result in always fitting into other people’s timetables often at the expense of your own time. Then if this happens different emotions start to cloud the event, resentful because you don’t really want to be there, anxious because you are worrying about time, and then not fully being present so not benefiting yourself or anyone else.

We aren’t doing anyone any favours by saying yes to everything, particularly ourselves.

So this week, start to practise saying No. If you find it difficult to do it straight out, then press the pause button, take a breath, take time to recognise whether it is a gut reaction to say no, or actual reasons for wanting to say no. Then make it clear that although you are saying no this time, it isn’t because you don’t want to do something you just need to arrange it for another time.

Practise saying No, because its right for yourself and it's right for others.

Take care of your mental health as well as your physical health.