Your November “Say No” List
November 10, 2020
Face it, we are stressed out, aren’t we? Now the holidays are sliding into base fast and we’ll have that extra stress on top of it. Perhaps learning to say no to a few things will enable us to find a little extra peace of mind in turbulant times. What do I mean by saying NO? It’s about opening space and saying YES to the things that bring you calm, peace and happiness.
Read on for 7 tips how to say no and things you may consider saying no to.
Say NO to getting wrapped up in social media posts and arguments. We all have a right to our opinions but we can learn to scroll past something we disagree with and just move on with our day. We also can say no to reading those 100+ comment posts on groups. It’s a time-suck and you leave with nothing added to your day. How about saying NO to social media in general? If you can’t, at least cut the time you spend on those sites.
Say NO to extra spending. Since many of us are shopping online more, it’s very easy to click and spend extra money. Then that credit card bill rolls in and we’re in for a shock. With many of us earning less, or spending more time at home, maybe it is time to streamline shopping and gifting to what is necessary. This, of course, doesn’t mean you can’t buy the kids wonderful Christmas gifts. Keeping the spending in check will keep your January bills in check though.
Say NO to poor eating choices. Not only do they result in weight gain, but they can also adversely affect health. When we are home it’s easy to snack mindlessly. It’s also easy to order delivery, and we all know how calorie-heavy restaurant food is. Save the delivery to once a week (you’ll save money too) and keep fresh fruit and vegetables on hand for easy healthy snacking. Sure, we have heard that dozens of times, but that “quarantine 15” is a real thing isn’t it?
Say NO to the couch and YES to a walk. With the darkness creeping in before dinner, many of us who did after-dinner walks now stay home. Switching your walk to earlier in the day, as often as you can, is a great alternative for better health. If you want to veg on the couch any time of day, promise yourself a 30-minute walk during the day first.
Say NO to negativity. Many of us have fallen into the trap of complaining recently (my hand raised here). Learning to gently shift our negativity to gratitude can make a huge difference. Keep some screenshots on your phone of positive quotes that remind you of all the things you have to be grateful for. Scroll through family pictures of great memories or read uplifting articles and magazines. The more you read the positive and thus, think positively, the less time for negativity. For the rest of the month, focus on no negative gossip, no complaining, and keeping your attitude in check. I know we’ll all feel better being around positive people too.
Say NO to staying up late. It’s easy to get into a routine that keeps us up too late, like mindless scrolling or watching shows we don’t even love. Then that sleep deficit takes a toll the next day and even spirals the whole week. We all know a solid 7-8 hours is recommended for adults. If we can move our “bedtime” 15 -30 minutes earlier each night, that’s an extra hour to 3 hours of sleep each week! So good for the body, mind, and spirit to get adequate rest!
Last, say NO to clutter. It’s so easy to accumulate and much harder to clean it all out. Rather than big, once a year cleanouts, try to do a mini clean out each week or each month if weekly doesn’t work. If you’re home more often now, you may have the time to do that cleanup and clean out you’ve wanted. A clutter-less room filled with only the things you love and use is a happy room. Make your home a haven without the scattered clutter and you’ll feel better being there.
What else will you say NO to this November?
