Why saying NO is a game changer.

By Katie Crews Coastal Kinesiology

Burnout and overwhelm are two of the biggest areas of stress and ill health in my clinic. How does this affect the body? This will play out differently for each of us, however, the underlying issues usually start with headaches, inflammation, slowed digestion, gut health, fatigue and brain fog. Each of these acute signs indicates that you are placing your body under excess stress.

From here, the progression is towards more chronic issues such as Irritable Bowel, Adrenal Fatigue, any Autoimmune condition, and unexplained ill health Most people will not connect the years of stress, people pleasing, chasing perfectionism and unresolved grief and trauma as the culprit for their underlying health issues. Suddenly one day they get a diagnosis or find themselves in a cycle of GP appointments, blood tests and despair with no answers………. wondering why this happened and where it came from.

Every time you say yes to something when you don’t really want to, you create stress in the body. It could be food, activities, family events, business ventures or even committees. Each time you are abandoning your internal truth and overriding your sense of peace.

I call this the FOG You are doing things out of FEAR, OBLIGATION and GUILT This creates tension in the body, which we hold in our body and organs such liver, stomach and spleen. It changes our breathing patterns, neural pathways and eventually leads to inflammation and illness.

Sadly, this cannot be fixed with one balance When we are living in a state of constant stress and the body is showing up with these severe signs of distress, we must create a whole new foundation of living. (This was covered in my article last month.) The good news is, it can be reversed with time, patience, good support and lifestyle changes.

One of the biggest changes we can make is learning to say NO How can one little word have such an impact on our health? Easily.

However, putting this into place can feel very challenging, especially if you have to say no to someone you love

So, let’s start with the simple no This is a muscle you will need to learn how to flex A simple no involves saying NO to that extra coffee, when you already know you are wired from your morning coffee Have an extra glass of water instead; allow yourself to feel this difference in your body Repeat daily until you notice how much better your feel without the extra stimulation in your body

Say no to an extra project when you know you just don’t have the time By allowing yourself permission to have some free time to relax and unwind you give yourself more time and energy for he things you have already committed to.

Once you get better at self-assessing and making more aligned choices for your personal health, then you can start to look at the bigger no ’ s.

A big no includes saying NO to attending a family picnic with the sibling you cannot be around. Declining a night out with the girls because you know you want to give alcohol a break. Saying no to the friend you meet for coffee who leaves you feeling drained.

It’s not selfish to put yourself first Every time you override your internal systems you create STRESS Repeat after me, IT IS NOT SELFISH TO PUT MYSELF FIRST

Health is wealth The healthier we are the more we can give back to the world around us Doing everything for everyone else is not being of service, it is robbing them of the opportunity to find their internal security and independence Being a people pleaser will not secure anything for you other than ill health

The moral of the story is, to say NO to anything that feels like an obligation This can be anything that makes you feel uncomfortable and you know you will lead to regret, resentment, and frustration afterwards. Instead, say yes to things that make you feel happy, healthy, and more aligned with who you want to be.

If anything in this article makes you feel uncomfortable, frustrated or like this is impossible to achieve……then you have the most no ’ s to implement. YOU are worthy of health and happiness.