Happy Thursday! I hope your week is going great! 
Today on Two Things we are talking about saying no. Man, if there is one thing I hear as a therapist over and over again it's not knowing how to say no. Especially for new parents and survivors of abuse, saying no is SO HARD. So here are two tips to help you out.
1. Big secret; it gets easier with practice! So practice with little things; when someone in a store asks if you need help instead of saying "I'm just browsing" or "I'm good" try just "no thank you." Practice with family and friends saying no; you can even give them a heads up that you are practicing if you are super worried about hurting feelings by saying no. It will get easier. 
2. Try just saying "no" or "no thank you" and leaving it at that. A lot of time, especially for us women, we are use to adding a lot of things to our nos. We say "I'm so sorry!" or "I wish I could" or make up really elaborate excuses. A lot of times, a plain "no" will work best and doesn't leave wiggle room. I think a lot of us have had the experience of thinking we are going to say no to something and slowly being talked into a yes. Again, this gets easier with practice, so keep trying!
You've got this, go bloom and thrive! 

​It’s Thursday! You’re almost done with your week! But what if you are having trouble sleeping? Maybe you can’t fall asleep because of everything on your mind? Two tips
1. Create a bedtime routine and STICK TO IT. Maybe you take a bath, drink some tea or (my favorite) read a book. Whatever it is pick something soothing and calm (not the time for a Peloton workout!) and relax.
2. If your brain is racing, try a brain dump; grab a pen and a blank piece of paper and take 5-10 minutes to write down everything you are thinking about. Worried about forgetting to pay your water bill? Write it down. Still upset about a conversation that didn’t go well? Write it down. Once you’re done, put the paper away (ps this is a great use for the drawer of your nightstand) and catch up on zzz’s. Sweet dreams!