How to Say No

 

Today I am going to help you take back your power and say no…. no to a variety of things. We live in a society where we feel pressured to always give in and say yes. There are different situations when you will be asked and you can say yes or not. So here are a few of those scenarios and how to say no.

Saying NO when asked to take on extra work or opportunities.

Sometimes we get asked if we are interested in taking a course or volunteering for a project that can help further our careers. Sometimes we don’t want to further out career at the moment. Sometimes we can’t take on anything more. So how do you say no to that?

· Thanks for thinking of me but I’m going to decline/pass at this time.

· This sounds interest but not a good time for me right now, thanks!

· I appreciate the offer but I’m going to decline.

Notice you don’t have to give a huge explanation and defend yourself. When you keep it clear and simple this way, it puts the other person in an awkward place….. are they really going to say “why not??” or “how come?”. That would just be weird. 

Saying NO to a social gathering.

Sometimes our social battery is completely burnt out. Sometimes we just want to take our time back. When people invite you to something it can make you feel dread. And for some reason an invitation always feels like you’re obligated to say yes. Sometimes you’re hanging out with people and they all suggest with great excitement throwing some special themed party. Everyone’s excited so you start nodding in agreement and before you know it, they think it means you want to be part of it. So how do you say no when you’re invited to something?

· Sorry I can’t attend but thanks for thinking of me!

· I appreciate the invite, but I won’t be able to make it.

· I’m unavailable then but if that changes, I’ll let you know.

If someone is asking you to get together 1:1 with them and you really aren’t feeling it, you can simply just state that you will have to get back to them at a later time once you have a chance to look at your schedule. Usually they forget about it. But this is a great response that I’ve used to put a little distance between me and the person. 

Saying NO in other circumstances.

If someone asks to borrow something of yours, simply say I’m sorry, I’m really weird about my stuff and I don’t lend things out. If they push back let them know it’s a boundary of yours. 

If someone asks if you’d be willing to do a favor for them, you can simply say that you’re so sorry but you’re unable to. (Pro tip: Before you ever say “yea, sure, what is it” instead say “What’s the favor” or “depends on the favor”) This makes it mentally easier for you to say no because you don’t feel like you already insinuated yes. 

Saying no is a boundary and it’s important one to keep so don’t feel bad and don’t overthink things. Always try to be as vague as possible and remember that NO is a complete sentence. You shouldn’t have to explain yourself in the majority of circumstances.

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