Stress is the response we feel to the demands external to us or those we place upon ourselves which we find challenging. Often we know that we have too much on our plate and that we would prefer to say no but for some reason it is just too difficult to say this small two letter word. The result is often stress, frustration and resentment; resentment of others who we feel may have demanded too much, or of ourselves for setting too high expectations or simply not being able to stand up for ourselves.
If you find yourself consistently under stress and suspect that you are unable to say no to what you know is too much for you, stop for a moment and anticipate what you believe will happen if you say no. I suspect it is not other people’s reactions you fear. It is your own feelings that are uncomfortable.
Learning to understand the triggers that influence your behaviour is the first step on the road to identifying what behaviour you engage in which does not serve you well.