This blog is going to be slightly different from some of my others but it’s something I feel is important and something that has really affected me. Over the last three years while I have been at university, I have been spreading myself far too thin. It’s actually a miracle that I managed to do so well at university, but I have had many breakdowns and burnouts along the way!
I have a massive family and a lot of friends. This means that there’s always a million people to see. I’ve spent every weekend over the last three years visiting my friends, mum, dad, grandparents, etc. I honestly feel like I’ve never stopped, I’ve spent so much time living out of suitcases. A couple of months ago, it came to the point where I was in tears because I just wanted to spend more than a week at home without having to go somewhere else.
This is when I realised things were out of control. I was putting other people’s happiness in front of my own. So, I decided to learn how to say NO!
I decided that every other weekend I would stay in Birmingham, rather than visit friends and family. Don’t get me wrong, I love visiting people, but I started to feel like I was constantly driving up and down the country to visit people! And don’t get me started on how much I was paying for petrol!
Saying no to people was difficult to begin with but the ones who truly care about me understood. Now if someone asks to see me, but my mental health would really benefit if I stayed home, I simply say, ‘sorry but I need some time at home’. If they don’t understand, then that’s their problem!
I suppose the point of this blog is just to make anyone who feels similar know that it’s normal, and it’s okay to say no! Put your own happiness first and stop trying to please everyone.