You Said "Yes," But Can You Say "No?"

You found the guy! He popped the question. You said "Yes!" That was the easy part. Now that your wedding planning has started, you might find yourself saying "yes" to lots of things. Yes to the appointment, to the bridal shower and the bachelorette party. Saying "yes" is easy, it's saying "no" that's often the harder thing to do. And there are times when saying "no" is necessary.

Preparing for the big day is no simple task. It involves lots of work and decision making. Couple that with work, family, social activities and life in general, you may start feeling like you're being stretched thin. Chances are you're not going to have time to do everything that comes your way. Enter the power of "No."

There are times when you will and must say no to preserve your sanity, if not your health. Here are some guidelines to help you know when it's okay to say "No." If you're sick or feeling under the weather, you must take care of yourself and decline outings, get-togethers, or even a scheduled appointment if you can. Running around while you're feeling unwell will make you feel worse and likely hinder your recovery. Put yourself first. No guilt. Period.

Already overwhelmed and stressed out? Then don't add more responsibilities to your ever-growing to-do list. If you feel like your are taking on too much, then don't volunteer your services if you can't. Also, if a situation doesn't directly relate to you, you have the right to say no. For example, your friend is moving to a new apartment and asks you to help. While, under normal situations you might agree, now that you are super busy with your own issues, you can decline. Unless it's something important to you or mandatory, just say no. Adding more stress to your life at this busy time will likely be counterproductive.

So how do you say "No?" You might think, "How can I say no? They'll think I'm rude, mean, or inconsiderate." That may, in fact, be true. But what others think is not your problem. Your issue is how to say "no" in order to put your physical and mental health first, And for that, you must be honest. When it comes to turning people down, always be upfront with them. Tell them you're not feeling well, stressed out, or have too many other commitments. You can also tell them when you might have more time for them; like, after your honeymoon! If you still feel guilty, you might try asking someone else if they can pitch in. "I don't have time to volunteer for the holiday party this year, but I know someone who wants to be more involved and can help," would be a great way to turn someone down without leaving them empty-handed.

The key to saying "No" is saying it and then sticking to it. Don't get caught up in long explanations either. Keep it simple. It's hard initially, especially if you're used to always saying "Yes." But it's a powerful tool that will help you get more things accomplished and take better care of yourself.