Saying no is one of the hardest things to do, mostly because we don’t want to disappoint the person who is asking the favour or making the request. Like most things in life, it’s often the approach or the way in which we respond or react that can make a potentially volatile situation escalate towards an explosion, or actually diffuse.
While saying no can be very daunting and terrifying, it can also be very liberating. Once we get over the initial ‘shock’ of having to say ‘no’, we will soon start reaping the benefits of having said no!
Often at work you are requested to put in extra hours or take on work outside of your role. Now, on occasion that wouldn’t be a problem, but if you are being taken advantage of and are constantly having to do everyone else’s work, you are in for serious burn out.
Here are common reasons why people struggle to say no
- You want to help.
- Afraid of being rude.
- Wanting to be agreeable.
- Fear of conflict.
- Fear of lost opportunities.
- Not burning bridges.
If you nodded to any of the reasons, I’m with you. They applied to me at one point or another. However, in my experience dealing with people at work and in life, I realized these reasons are more misconceptions than anything. Saying “No” doesn’t mean you are being rude; neither does it mean you are being disagreeable. Saying “No” doesn’t mean there will be conflict nor that you’ll lose opportunities in the future. And saying no most definitely doesn’t mean you’re burning bridges. These are all false beliefs in our mind.
At the end of the day, it’s about how you say “no”, rather than the fact you’re saying no, that affects the outcome. After all, you have your own priorities and needs, just like everyone has his/her own needs. Saying no is about respecting and valuing your time and space. Say no is your prerogative.
7 Simple Ways To Say “No”
Rather than avoid it altogether, it’s all about learning the right way to say no. After I began to say no to others, I realized it’s really not as bad as I thought. The other people were very understanding and didn’t put up any resistance. Really, the fears of saying no are just in our mind.
If you are not sure how to do so, here are 7 simple ways for you to say no. Use the method that best meets your needs in the situation.
1. “I can’t commit to this as I have other priorities at the moment.”
2. “Now’s not a good time as I’m in the middle of something. How about we reconnect at X time?”
3. “I’d love to do this, but …”
4. “Let me think about it first and I’ll get back to you.”
5. “This doesn’t meet my needs now but I’ll be sure to keep you in mind.”
6. “I’m not the best person to help on this. Why don’t you try X?”
7. “No, I simply can’t do it.
Learn to say no to requests that don’t meet your needs, and once you do that you’ll find how easy it actually is. You’ll get more time for yourself, your work and things that are most important to you. I know I do and I’m happy I started doing that.
If you struggle to say no and are constantly taken advantage of, please click on the banner below and contact us for assistance today!
Credit: Edited // zen habits