{"id":85833,"date":"2017-05-19T07:30:16","date_gmt":"2017-05-19T12:30:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/?p=85833"},"modified":"2017-05-18T21:21:31","modified_gmt":"2017-05-19T02:21:31","slug":"the-importance-of-saying-no","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/?p=85833","title":{"rendered":"The Importance of Saying “No”"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Naomi Gonzales
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

The Importance of Saying \u201cNo\u201d<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a>I want to preface this piece by saying this is not an article on negativity, but taking care of yourself.<\/p>\n

We live in a very \u201cyes\u201d-oriented culture.<\/strong> A professional world where \u201csure I can do that\u201d, and \u201cI\u2019ll take\u00a0care of it\u201d are phrases that abound because somehow, somewhere it became ingrained in us that the\u00a0busier we are, the better.<\/p>\n

In a lot of ways, this is true. When we\u2019re busy, things get done, time goes by more quickly, tasks are\u00a0accomplished and everyone feels good about their work. The organization you work for is happy and\u00a0you\u2019re happy because, yay\u2014productivity! Right?<\/p>\n

Not always.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I graduated with my MLS nearly five years ago*, and nearly every work day for the first two was an\u00a0exercise in proving to my employers that I am totally capable of not only doing my job but also taking on\u00a0anything else they could ask of me. I wanted to be busy all the time, and darn it, I was. I was so busy that\u00a0at times it permeated my personal life too, and I started working on things when I wasn\u2019t on the clock.\u00a0When asked if I could take care of something, the answer was always an emphatic YES, no matter how\u00a0underprepared I felt or what else was on my plate. In a lot of ways, this wasn\u2019t a bad thing, especially\u00a0because I really liked my job. I liked the work I was doing and felt good about having so much of it to do.<\/p>\n

Fast forward a few months and, to no one\u2019s surprise, I am burned out and overwhelmed<\/strong> (hint, this is\u00a0where the word \u201cno\u201d comes into play).<\/p>\n

It was at this point that my boss graciously sat me down and informed me that before anything else, I\u00a0should take care of myself. If that meant politely turning something down, or (gasp!) asking for help,\u00a0then I should by all means do those things. I was expected to work and pull my weight, but not at the\u00a0expense of my own health. I realize that not everyone is as fortunate to have a supervisor feel that way,\u00a0but her words are probably some of the truest things anyone can be told.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re anything like me, you tend to be the person that other people need before you are anything for\u00a0yourself. Although this might be good for other people and can give you a certain sense of satisfaction,\u00a0it\u2019s also really not great for your well-being. It\u2019s important to remember that sometimes the best thing\u00a0you can do for your health is to give yourself a break. Hey, I don\u2019t like feeling as though I\u2019ve let someone\u00a0down or dropped a ball either but at the end of the day, I\u2019d rather be my best at something and see it\u00a0done well. If I\u2019m exhausted and working on too many projects, there\u2019s a good chance I\u2019m going to drop a\u00a0ball anyway.<\/p>\n

Maybe it is the eternal optimist in me, but I truly believe that if we can get to the point where we can\u00a0comfortably say \u201cNo, that won\u2019t be possible at this time\u201d or \u201cI\u2019m not in the place to do that right now\u201d\u00a0with our health in mind, we\u2019ll be a lot healthier as a whole. The chance to stop and catch your breath\u00a0will do wonders for your ability to move forward. Your co-workers will understand, your friends will\u00a0understand. After all, life is too short to be overworked and stressed all the time.<\/p>\n

Instead, take a page from Skeletor\u2019s book:<\/p>\n

\"naomi-gonzales-skeletor\"<\/a><\/p>\n

(image courtesy of http:\/\/skeletorislove.tumblr.com\/<\/a>)<\/p>\n

previously published 12\/16\/14 and 11\/28\/15<\/em><\/p>\n