The Liberating Power of No

Science behind the slice

If you’re looking for more tips on HOW to say no, check out this post from the Crunk Feminist Collective. Psychological studies have shown that assertiveness, including the power to say no, has benefits ranging from higher levels of confidence and satisfaction in our decisions (this study involves a robot!🤖) to reducing anxiety in situations where people feel uncomfortable or overwhemed. Learning to say no to peer pressure in early life can contribute to lifelong mental resilience and assertiveness – but the good news is, we can continue practicing and developing this skill no matter how old we are and how ingrained those old people-pleasing habits feel. Say NO to feeling stuck!

Where to find me

Keep an eye out on LinkedIn for a little video series mythbusting challenges around work and cancer – I’m developing that with my Working With Cancer colleagues now. I also had the pleasure of hosting two panel events with Coaching for Creatives on the value coaching can bring to the creative sector earlier in the month for International Coaching Week; go check out our videos and a summary of key takeaways. If you like what we do at Courage Pie and you think it would benefit a group or organisation you’re part of, let me know by replying to this email! And bring a pal along next month, why don’t you?

That’s it from me this month – hope to see you all at next month’s Courage Pie, where we’ll be talking about the power of helping hands: how to tap into our networks and communities when we need a boost.

Very best,

Caitlin