In my line of work, I often encourage people to think positively, to find the good in situations, to say “yes” to new adventures. I also sometimes must remind myself and my patients that is is perfectly okay to say “no” to things as well.

Saying “no” to things that we no longer enjoy, to people who cause us tremendous amounts of stress, to situations that put us in danger means we are setting healthy boundaries. We have every right to limit our time with people who tax us, to situations that endanger us and to things that no longer bring us joy.

Setting boundaries is a way to practice self-care. Sometimes setting boundaries means telling people we cannot accommodate their requests or perform favors for them. Sometimes setting boundaries means limiting the time we spend with people who tax us emotionally. We do not have to spend undue amounts of time with emotional vampires. We have the right to say “no.”

Saying “no” means standing up for yourself but doing so can feel as though we are hurting another person’s feelings. What we must remember is that we are responsible for our own feelings, not others’ feelings. We cannot control how others respond to our setting boundaries. We can only remember that we have the right to do so.

Saying “no” sometimes takes practice, particularly if we tend to be people pleasers. However, the more we say “no” to the things and people who no longer bring us joy, the easier it will be set healthy boundaries. And the more we set healthy boundaries, the better our mental health becomes. You are under no obligation to say “yes” to everything and everyone. You have the right to say “no” without apology.