🎙️ Episode 4: Just Say No

Are you doing too much — even when you know better? In this episode of The Fireproof Podcast, we explore why saying “no” might just be the most healing thing you can do.

We dig into:

• Some root causes of burnout
• Physical and emotional signs you’re hitting your limits, and
• The statistics about doing too much

Plus: We share insights on heart rate variability, "virtuous subtraction," and why outsourcing tasks can sometimes be a powerful act of resistance.

💡 Key Takeaways

• "No" is a complete sentence — and a free tool for burnout prevention
• You don’t need to earn rest
• Boundaries can be built over time, with awareness, support, and practice

📦 Want to practice saying no?

Starting tomorrow, (6/18) check out our Just Say No Cards on Etsy — a playful, supportive way to build the boundary-setting muscle.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And be sure to follow, subscribe, and share so you don’t miss next week’s episode, where we dig into emotions in the body. 

📚 Works Referenced

• Adams, G. S., Converse, B. A., Hales, A. H., & Klotz, L. E. (2021). People systematically overlook subtractive changes. Nature, 592(7853), 258–261. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03380-y
• Akkayagorn, L. (2023, May 31). Burnout Syndromes. MedPark Hospital. http://www.medparkhospital.com/en-US/lifestyles/burnout-syndrome
• F. Diane Barth, LCSW. (2023, November 4). You Really Can Accomplish More by Doing Less. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/off-the-couch/202311/you-really-can-accomplish-more-by-doing-less
• Heart Rate Variability. (n.d.). Oura Help. Retrieved June 12, 2025, from https://support.ouraring.com/hc/en-us/articles/360025441974-Heart-Rate-Variability
• Jaclyn Margolis Ph.D. (2023, December 31). This Year, Do Less to Get More. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/shifting-workplace-dynamics/202312/this-year-do-less-to-get-more
• Kate Northrup. (2020, May 21). Want to Be More Productive? Try Doing Less. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2020/05/want-to-be-more-productive-try-doing-less
• Keisha Moore, LCSW. (2023, June 19). The Power of Saying No. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mind-matters-from-menninger/202111/the-power-of-saying-no
• Laker, B., Pereira, V., Malik, A., & Soga, L. (2022). Dear Manager, you’re holding too many meetings. Harvard Business Review, 100(5), Article 5. https://hbr.org/2022/03/dear-manager-youre-holding-too-many-meetings
• Mayo Clinic Staff. (2023, November 30). Job burnout: How to spot it and take action. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/burnout/art-20046642
• Moyer, M. W. (2022, February 15). Your Body Knows You’re Burned Out. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/15/well/live/burnout-work-stress.html
• Nagoski, E., & Nagoski, A. (2019). Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle. Ballantine Books.
• Rousseau, D. M. (2021). What if Marie Kondo Wrote an Organizational Change Book? Making Space for Subtractive Change. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 57(4), 428–435. https://doi.org/10.1177/00218863211032747
• Salvagioni, D. A. J., Melanda, F. N., Mesas, A. E., González, A. D., Gabani, F. L., & de Andrade, S. M. (2017). Physical, psychological and occupational consequences of job burnout: A systematic review of prospective studies. PLoS ONE, 12(10), e0185781. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0185781
• WebMD Editorial Contributor. (2024, March 5). Burnout: Symptoms and Signs. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/burnout-symptoms-signs#1-4
• Whillans, A. V., Dunn, E. W., Smeets, P., Bekkers, R., & Norton, M. I. (2017). Buying time promotes happiness. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114(32), 8523–8527. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1706541114
• Why Downtime Is Essential for Brain Health. (2020, June 2). Cleveland Clinic. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/why-downtime-is-essential-for-brain-health
• Zeynep Ton. (2023, May 11). When Doing Less Adds Up to More. MIT Sloan Management Review Frontiers, Summer 2023. https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/when-doing-less-adds-up-to-more/