In the last five years, what have you become better at saying no to?
Recorded Naomi Osaka said elsewhere, not written here
I communicated that I wanted to skip press conferences at Roland Garros to exercise self-care and preservation of my mental health. I stand by that. Athletes are humans.

First-person cover essay, Time, 8 July 2021 source ↗

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Derek Sivers Founder of CD Baby; author of Anything You Want
When deciding whether to do something, if you feel anything less than “Wow! That would be amazing! Absolutely! Hell yeah!” — then say no.
Recorded Essay on sive.rs, Derek Sivers, 26 August 2009 source ↗
Joyce Carol Oates Novelist, short story writer and essayist
I’ve turned down opportunities constantly. I turn down invitations to do things for money. I have almost no interest in making money.
Recorded Academy of Achievement interview, 20 May 1997 source ↗
Lynsey Addario Photojournalist and war photographer; Pulitzer Prize winner, 2009
I think I naturally felt like I needed to pull back, and maybe that’s one of the reasons why I decided to get pregnant then because I was 37, and I had Lukas at 38. So I have not been covering combat recently. I haven’t covered combat in a few years. I’ve been in South Sudan. I’ve been under fire. But I’m not like — it’s a very different time, also, in history. … Now I feel like I was very torn about not being in Mosul, but I didn’t go because I felt like it was extremely dangerous, and I just couldn’t do that to my family.
Recorded Academy of Achievement (achievement.org) source ↗
Colm Tóibín Novelist, essayist and critic
No alcohol, sex or drugs while you are working. […] No going to London. […] No going anywhere else either.
Recorded The Guardian Review, 20 February 2010 source ↗

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Question What advice would you give your twenty-year-old self, and what should they ignore? Time & hindsight
I feel uncomfortable being the spokesperson or face of athlete mental health as it's still so new to me and I don't have all the answers. I do hope that people can relate and understand it's O.K. to not be O.K., and it's O.K. to talk about it. There are people who can help, and there is usually light at the end of any tunnel.
Recorded First-person cover essay, Time, 8 July 2021 source ↗

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