2618: [Part 1] Setting Limits Can Keep You Sane: Here’s How to Do It by Elana Miller of Zen Psychiatry on Protecting Your Time
Jun 9, 2025
Explore the hidden costs of saying 'yes' to everything and how it can lead to burnout. Learn why setting boundaries is crucial for safeguarding your time, energy, and values. Elana Miller shares her mindfulness experiment that reveals the power of saying 'no' and its positive impact on relationships and mental health. Discover the art of declining requests to foster healthier connections without resentment.
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Elena's Yes Experiment Fail
Elena Miller tried saying yes to everything as a mindfulness experiment and faced difficulties with common daily interactions.
This revealed how constant agreement disrupts personal priorities and creates unwanted obligations.
insights INSIGHT
Saying Yes Limits Priorities
Saying yes to everything can prevent prioritizing personal values, time, and energy.
Constant agreement may sacrifice important relationships and individual goals.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Say No To Protect You
Learn to say no to protect your time and priorities without fear of alienation.
Setting limits reduces resentment and can improve relationships.
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In 'The 4-Hour Workweek', Timothy Ferriss presents a step-by-step guide to 'lifestyle design', encouraging readers to question the traditional notion of retirement and instead create a lifestyle that prioritizes freedom, adventure, and personal growth. The book teaches how to outsource life tasks, automate income, and eliminate unnecessary work using principles like the 80/20 rule and Parkinson’s Law. Ferriss shares his personal journey from a corporate workaholic to a location-independent entrepreneur and provides practical tips and case studies to help readers achieve similar results. The book emphasizes the importance of focusing on high-value activities, taking 'mini-retirements', and living life to the fullest in the present rather than deferring enjoyment until retirement.
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Episode 2618:
Elana Miller shares how her mindfulness experiment of saying "yes" to everything revealed the hidden cost of constant agreement. She explains why setting boundaries is essential for protecting your time, energy, and personal values, and how learning to say "no" can actually strengthen your relationships and mental well-being.
"People don’t hear what you say, they hear what you do."
"Even just a few days of trying this 'say yes' experiment made me realize that saying yes all the time may work for Buddhist monks in Burma, but it doesn’t really work for the rest of us."
"It actually can help improve your relationships because you won’t be resentful of people for 'making' you do things you don’t want to do."
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