100 Things to Say “No” To for a Happier Life
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Here’s a mind-blowing question for you: what’s the magic word? If you’re like most people, you’ve been conditioned to respond the magic word is, please. But most people would be wrong.
As it turns out, the magic word is not please, but rather no!
This might be a tough pill for you to swallow, but being able to say no to people and things you don’t have time or energy to deal with is essential to protecting yourself on all levels:
- physically
- mentally
- and emotionally
To get you started, here is a list of things to say no to for more happiness and life satisfaction, from work to play. If you’re looking for more ideas and tips on how to be happier, you might also enjoy this blog post on the top 30 habits of the happiest people in the world.
What Things to Say “No” To?
Life is all about balance. It’s essential to find the right balance for yourself and set priorities.
When you know what matters most to you, it’s easier to say no to the things that don’t matter. That way, you can get your life together and have more time, space, money, and energy to put towards the things that DO matter in your life!
Think of this list of things to say “no” to as a menu; choose the items that suit your fancy and disregard the rest – for now.
But remember, just because one life boundary doesn’t trouble you today, that doesn’t mean you’ll never need to set boundaries about it in the future. Likewise, if you take the time to learn how to set boundaries today, it’s easier to maintain them in the future.
Plus, you’ll now know how effective it is to do so!
100 Things to Say No to for a Happier Life
Here are 100 things to say no to in your life so that you can say a loud YES to the things that matter!
You can also watch the YouTube video where I shared my top ten favorite “nos”.
RELATED POST: Top 20 Things to Let Go of for More Happiness in Life
THings to say no to for more Life Satisfaction
- Getting it all done
- Fear of judgment
- Comparing your life to someone else’s
- Being materialistic
- Being ungrateful
- Instant gratification
- Overstimulation
- Ignoring your problems
- Too much stress
- Perfectionism
things to say no to at Home
- Over-the-top recipes
- Freebie addiction to stuff you don’t need
- Systems that don’t work
- Excessive hobbies you don’t have time for
- Visual clutter
- Doing it all – alone
- Jarring colors in your home
- Poor lighting
- Wearing shoes inside the home
- Too many books
what to say no to for a simpler Wardrobe
- Strict fashion rules
- Trends
- Fantasy self clothing
- Clothes that don’t fit
- Uncomfortable shoes
- Washing clothes too often
- Cheap fabrics
- Slippery hangers (choose velvet instead)
- Messy drawers
- High-maintenance clothes (dry clean only or fussy fabrics)
say not to this for your Health
- Being a couch potato
- Diet culture
- Bad habits
- Dehydration
- Toxic chemicals
- Fast food
- Too much salt
- Poor posture
- Last-minute meal planning
- Poor sleep hygiene
saying no for mental health & productivity
- Procrastination
- Saying “always” and “never”
- Regret
- FOMO
- Non-stop notifications interrupting your life
- Doom scrolling
- Negative self-talk
- Bad routines
- Always having a goal
- Too much multi-tasking
things to say no to in Relationships
- Blind loyalty
- People who only take
- Debbie Downers
- Gossip
- Talking but not listening
- Lack of trust
- Chronic liars
- Manipulators
- Too much partying
- Being too sensitive
saying no at work
- Toxic bosses
- Taking work home with you
- Unmanagable workloads
- Too many meetings
- Fear of negotiating
- Avoiding feedback
- Technophobia
- Complacency
- Academic guilt
- Addiction to checking your email
say no to bad Money habits
- Debt
- Impulse buying
- Keeping up with the Joneses
- Too much hustle culture
- Inflation
- Upgrading your tech
- Eating out all the time
- Late fees
- Subscriptions and memberships you don’t use
- Not having a budget
what to say no to for the Environment
- Food waste
- Fast fashion
- Junk mail
- Energy wasting
- Drying clothes in the dryer
- Too much driving
- Shopping addiction
- Always running the A/C or heat
- Harsh chemicals
- Single-use plastics
say no to these Parenting problems
- Mom or dad guilt
- Too much stuff
- Being inflexible
- Sweets and candies
- Poor boundaries
- Chaotic schedules
- Disrespectful language
- Yelling
- Fibs and lies
- Doing everything for your kids
Final thoughts on things to say no to
We can say no to countless things to have happier, more successful lives.
The things we choose to say no to will be different for each of us, but the important thing is that we make conscious choices about what we do and don’t want in our lives.
What things would you add to this list? Please drop a comment below and let me know!
Here are more posts you might enjoy:
- 30 Toxic People Signs That Scream “AVOID ME!”
- How to Stop Feeling Overwhelmed: 20 Helpful Tips
- 30 Simple Ways to Make Life Easier for Yourself
Learning to Say No would make life much bet
I respect everything that you have written in this blog. Please continue to provide wisdom to more people like me.
Thanks, Jack, take care. 🙂
Wowwwww ALWAYS EXCELLENT!! Thanks Marissa!! XXOO