We were watching home videos over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, and we saw one with my older daughter as a young toddler saying “No” as one of her early words. She wasn’t rude or disrespectful, just a very pleasant yet understandable “No” with a smile. Isn’t it funny that, although “No” is one of the first words in our initial vocabulary, it is one of the only words that seems to get increasingly difficult to say when we would like to as adult Moms. Now, I’m not talking about telling our kids “No” – although that can be difficult at times, most of us moms learn early on that, no matter how cute that little begging face with the big, wide eyes staring up at us is, it still requires the response of a firm “No” at times. Rather, I’m talking about us struggling with our ability to say “No” to other adults in our lives when they ask us to pile more onto our already over-full plates. (Sorry for the plate analogy – I personally am still full from Thanksgiving last Thursday!)

Especially during the holidays, when we are all so busy rushing around, it can be very easy to over-schedule, over-commit, and overwhelm yourself during what could be one of the most enjoyable times of year for both you and your family. So do yourself a huge favor this holiday season and take time to slow down and listen to your body and intuition when others ask you to do something. When asked to take on another task, take a moment first instead – how are you feeling at that moment? What is your body telling you about this request – are you happy about it, is your heart excited over the thought of this opportunity? Or, are you tightening up, feeling tense in your stomach or a “lump” in your throat? And what is your heart or intuition telling you? What is the first thought that came to mind when the request was made? Were you genuinely excited and eager to participate, or did you think “Oh no!” Now that you have taken a moment to tune into your body and check-in with your Self, what do you really WANT to do? That may be very different than what you are feeling like you HAVE to do, simply because someone asked you. Give yourself this space and time to make a decision that you will feel good about, even if it means telling the person making the request that you will need to get back to them. If you feel in your body and heart that this is not something that you are thrilled about making a priority in your Holiday schedule, politely decline. Although you may initially be concerned that someone else may be disappointed in your decision, you can feel great about knowing that you made the choice that is right for you, and really, yours is the only choice you have control over. So, own it, feel great about honoring your Self, and recognize that not only will saying “No” get easier and feel more natural over time (with practice), your refusal to take on something that doesn’t serve you right now is actually creating that opportunity for another person whom the task will serve. You just did someone else and yourself a favor! See, saying “No” is easier already!