There are many cases where we have found ourselves in a situation where it is difficult to say NO. Whether we wanted to avoid disappointing someone or wanted to avoid looking like a flake, sometimes we succumb to other people’s requests and say yes to everything. Oftentimes, it feels like it is the easier option to choose.
However, what you need to remember in this case is that each time you say yes to someone else, you end up saying NO to yourself. If you repeat this pattern often enough, you will also end up finding yourself drowned in a well of requests that you have yet to finish, without ever finding time for yourself. You can already feel where this is going. It is not a healthy pattern of behavior, and it can lead to some long-lasting negative effects, both for your body and mind. If you are interested in breaking the pattern and starting a healthy living for women, then you have come to the right place!
We have curated a healthy living guide with three simple steps on how to start saying NO. If you want to practice a healthy lifestyle, it would be highly beneficial to look into this list. Tying them would be an excellent way for you to manage stress and give yourself some time to start doing things your way, at your own pace.
Notice your time, attention, and energy levels
Whenever you feel like you are doing too many things at one, this may be the reason for it. Stop, take a breath and start noticing where your time is going. During the day, it is normal for you to agree to certain tasks, just because they make sense to you. For example, it is okay to agree to train a new employee at work because you can explain things better than anyone else. It is okay to dedicate some extra time to work just because someone asked you to do that.
However, in the grand scheme of things, this is not what a healthy lifestyle is based on.
In this case, it will help you notice the course of your ways if you try to keep a planner or a journal. Either write your tasks down before the day begins or after it is over. Try to do it constantly, over a week or so. Then, just go through it and take a look at what you have done over the week. You might be amazed by what you will see. You will notice how your schedule is packed from early in the morning until late in the evening. You might even ask yourself, how did you even pull off all of that? This does not promote a healthy lifestyle.
Take this as the first step toward creating a healthy living guide. It shows you exactly what you should avoid. Overworking, not taking some time for yourself, and being active to the point of exhaustion is not a way to lead a healthy and fulfilled life.
Consider this as a way to promote healthy living for women. It all begins with yourself – adjust the patterns.
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Be aware of how you choose to spend your time
Once you have noted and tracked your steps and everything you have done, it is time to make some slight alterations. As we have mentioned earlier, whenever you say yes to something else, you are saying no to yourself. Any healthy lifestyle community can tell you that this is wrong.
In this case, try to write down a chart of your reality. What do your days look like, and how do you feel about them? Remember that your time is finite. Healthy living for women means organizing your time right. In the beginning, a simple pie chart would do.
Draw what you spend the most time on, and draw how much time you spend on other obligations or a favorite pastime. After you’ve done, notice how you evaluate your time. You will see where and how you spend your days – and that will be your answer.
If you don’t like what you see and want to change it, start slow. Give yourself extra 15 minutes in the morning to read at least one chapter of a book. Or simply to take a long shower. Go to the local market and spend about half an hour exploring the food and getting yourself some flowers. You can go as far as booking a massage for yourself every once in a while! Remember that these are not things that are considered a luxury. These things are a necessity.
Start saying NO
The most obvious step that you need to take is to teach yourself to say NO. It might be a bit difficult at first, but you will have to try very hard if you want to succeed. One of the aspects of healthy living for women is understanding whether the time you are going to spend is worth anything to you.
In a perfect scenario, we would spend a third of our time working, a third relaxing and dedicating some time to ourselves, and the last third sleeping. In reality, this is not the case. Generally, women are overwhelmed with the feeling of worry over all the responsibilities and tasks throughout the day. Sometimes even fear and stress take over.
This should not be the case. It might be an impossible task to put yourself first and start saying no, even to the smallest of requests. But if you feel like you are unable to do it alone, then you can always request help from a healthy lifestyle community! You will be amazed by all the support and how stronger you can get after talking to a few women openly about your current thoughts and feelings.
When it comes to healthy living for women, these three steps will help you come a long way. Learning how to manage your levels of stress by starting to prioritize the responsibilities in your life is key to a healthy lifestyle. Take some time for yourself and start becoming aware of the things that are most important to you. This way you can take back full control of your life and transform into a much better and happier version of yourself!
In order to feel supported on your journey, join the healthy lifestyle community! You can meet many women who have dealt with the same challenges. See how they overcame them and draw from their experience. They can even be there for you if you need support. Head over to this link and join. Start living healthy today!
