Let’s Talk About Doing
What Serves You

People love to talk about how Naomi Osaka got here. Four-time Grand Slam tennis champion. Olympian. Cultural icon.

But people don’t talk about what she chose not to do. The matches she stepped away from. The expectations she pushed back on. The moments she chose herself, or her family, even when the whole world was watching.

That tension—between what’s expected of you and what actually serves you—is exactly where our partnership begins.

Redefining What it Means to Show Up

OLLY is partnering with Naomi Osaka for a year-long collaboration rooted in a simple but powerful idea: you deserve to do what serves you.

For many women, that idea feels easier said than done. In fact, 63% of women struggle to prioritize their own health and wellbeing¹—not because they don’t value it, but because they’re used to carrying everything else first. It’s how they’ve been conditioned.

“For me, ‘Do What Serves You’ means taking care of myself & making sure that I have time to do the things that mean a lot to me like journaling or meditating.”

Naomi Osaka | Four-Time Grand Slam Champ, Mom & OLLY Brand Ambassador

Naomi represents a different way forward. One where ambition and wellbeing aren’t in competition, but come to exist side by side. Where success doesn’t have to come at the expense of self. She is a force of nature, changing the conversation around mental health for good.

Naomi’s story and OLLY’s mission? That’s a match we didn’t have to think twice about.

The Conversation We Need Right Now

Over the years, we’ve seen many sides of Naomi: the champion, the cultural icon, the new mother. But what resonates most isn’t what she’s accomplished—it’s in how she’s chosen to move through it.

She stepped back when she needed to. Spoken up when it mattered. Protected her peace in moments when it would have been easier to stay silent. Or just go with the flow.

Naomi has helped shift the conversation—not just in the world of sports, but in our culture. She has shown that strength doesn’t always look like pushing through. Sometimes, it looks like pausing. Reassessing. Choosing differently.

That’s a message more women need to hear.

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What “Do What Serves You” Really Means

At its core, “Do What Serves You” is about making intentional choices—especially when they’re not the easiest ones.

It’s not doing what society tells you. It could be a sweat-drenched spin class or a walk as the sun rises. A call to an old friend or journaling before bed. Cooking a healthy meal or remembering to take your vitamins. Whatever your body and mind need at that moment: small, achievable acts that compound.

Because you can’t pour from an empty cup. Serving yourself first is not selfish—it’s crucial for your mental health. And once you protect your peace, you can act from it.

For many of us, we’ve been conditioned to default to ‘yes.’ To be available, agreeable, accommodating. But over time, that pattern can pull us further away from what we actually need.

Doing what serves you means pausing long enough before you commit to something to ask:

• Does this align with my values?
• Does this support how I want to feel?
• Does this help me show up as my best self?

And if the answer is no, allowing that to be enough. Sometimes it looks like showing up fully. Sometimes it looks like stepping back. Both are valid. Both require strength.

How to Do What Serves You: A Practical Guide

Like anything worthwhile, this isn’t something you master overnight. It’s a practice—one that starts with small, everyday decisions.

"Since becoming a mom, there are just certain things that I won't allow anymore. And sometimes it's kinder to say ‘no’ than to say ‘yes’ in certain moments."

Naomi Osaka | Four-Time Grand Slam Champ, Mom & OLLY Brand Ambassador

1. Find the Strength to Say No

Saying no can feel uncomfortable, especially if you’re used to putting others first. But it’s also one of the clearest ways to honor your priorities. And we believe there’s kindness in direct communication.

You don’t need a sugarcoated explanation. You don’t need to justify your capacity. A thoughtful no is often more honest, and certainly more sustainable, than a yes out of obligation.

And sometimes, ‘no’ is a complete sentence. (We didn’t come up with that, but we love it.)

2. Set Boundaries that Protect Your Peace

Boundaries aren’t about shutting people out. They’re about defining what you need to feel grounded and supported.

That might look like ending your workday at a certain time, limiting energy-draining commitments, or (our personal favorite) carving out time that’s just for you.

Remember: not everything deserves immediate access to you.

3. Consider Your Feelings First

This can be one of the hardest shifts to make. Many of us are wired to avoid letting people down, at all costs. Especially if we were raised in a strict, achievement-driven household.

But when you make decisions based on how someone else will feel, you may be consistently abandoning your own needs in the process. It might help to ask yourself, why do I feel more responsible for someone else’s feelings than my own?

Choosing yourself doesn’t mean you don’t care about others. It means you’re learning to slow down and care about yourself first.

4. Rethink What Productivity Means

We often equate productivity with doing more. And doing more means we’re doing well. Getting the gold star. Crossing more things off the list. But real sustainability comes from knowing when to pause.

Rest isn’t a reward you earn after you’ve worked yourself to the bone—it’s actually a key part of what prevents burnout. Taking breaks, resetting, and creating space are all essential to showing up well over time.

5. Pay Attention to What Fuels You

Not everything that fills your schedule fills your cup.

Start noticing what leaves you feeling restored versus depleted. Are you buzzing after a lively lunch with a big group? Do you feel rejuvenated after cleaning your kitchen? Maybe you feel a sense of accomplishment when you remember to take your multivitamin. 😉

The goal isn’t to overhaul your life overnight, but to take notice of what’s happening in your body and make small shifts that bring you closer to those feelings of being energized.

6. Treat Mental Health as Seriously as Physical Health

Mental wellbeing isn’t something you address only when things feel overwhelming—it’s something that needs consistent, proactive support.

Whether that’s through conversation, a routine like journaling, or even just making a conscious effort to check in with yourself more often—your mental health is an essential part of how you function, just like any other system in your body.

A Different Kind of Strength

Naomi’s story reminds us that strength isn’t just about sacrificing everything and performing at the highest level. It’s about discernment.

It’s knowing when to push forward—and when to step back. When to say yes—and when to decide you don’t have to.

That kind of clarity doesn’t always come easily. But it’s where real, sustainable greatness begins.

An Invitation

Our hope is that you’ll think of this partnership as an invitation to see things differently. To rethink what success looks like. To make space for both ambition and living softly. To recognize that taking care of yourself isn’t a distraction from your goals—it’s actually what makes them possible.

So, wherever you are in your journey, consider this your reminder: Do what serves you.