7 Useful Tips for Learning the Gentle Art of Saying No ...
If you want to always stay productive and minimize the stress in your life, you should definitely learn the gentle art of saying no. You want to help the people around you, yet sometimes, such a thing is not possible, especially when you take too many commitments and you barely have enough time for yourself. Saying no to someone, especially to someone you love, is not a fun thing to do, yet it’s necessary if you care about your well-being. Just remember: every time you are saying yes to something you don’t want to do, you’re actually saying no to yourself. This is a skill you’ll have to develop, so you’ll be able to protect your priorities, your time and why not, your happiness. Here are a few very useful tips for learning the gentle art of saying no that you should consider if you want to learn how to say no in a respectful and courteous manner:
1. Value Your Time
Always value your time and your priorities! You don’t have to give the other person too many details about why you are saying no. It’s your right to do so and if you consider that you can’t help someone because you have too many commitments, then you should just be honest with them and tell them no in a polite and brief manner. You’re only human after all, you have your own limits. There are things you just don’t have time for, no matter how much you would like to help that person, so this is definitely one of the things you should keep in mind when you are learning the gentle art of saying no.
2. Be Firm!
When you are saying no to someone, be firm in your approach and just remember that you can’t please everyone all the time,
no matter how hard you would try. Everyone is entitled to have their
own opinion and so are you. Just let them know you wish you could say
yes, but at the moment, you just can’t do that. Be nice to yourself and
respect your priorities. Set limits and ask others to respect them.
3. Don’t Apologize!
You
have nothing to apologize for. You wish you could have helped someone,
yet you don’t have the time to do it. There’s absolutely nothing wrong
with that. While it’s extremely important to be polite when you are
saying no to someone, you need to be firm, because if you keep
apologizing, you will make it sound like you are at fault and it’s not
the case. You don’t need to be apologetic for valuing your time and your
priorities.
4. Practice Saying No
If you want to learn the gentle art of saying no, you should practice it as often as possible. You know what they say: practice makes perfect. What better way to master this art and feel comfortable with saying no, than by repeating this word every time you have the chance to do it? You can practice it while looking in the mirror or with one of your friends, while you’re role-playing.
5. Offer Alternatives
When
you’re saying no to someone, it’s best if you could offer them some
alternatives. You could recommend someone else who might help them or if
you can, you could even offer to help them yourself later, when you
have the time to do it. Also, you could show them how to solve their
problem by themselves if such a thing is possible. Show them you care
but you have other things you need to take care of, so you just cannot help them, no matter how much you would like that.
6. Don’t Make the No Personal!
Don’t
make the no personal! When someone is asking something from you and you
have to say no so you can protect your well-being, make sure it doesn’t
seem like you’re saying no because you don’t like them and that’s why
you don’t want to help them. Just let them know why you have to say no
this time and be firm with your decision!
Don’t feel
guilty for saying no! You just can’t help everyone all the time.
Sometimes, by saying no to someone, you’ll actually help them, because
they will have to do things
they never though they are capable of, thus you will help them improve
their self-confidence and boost their self-esteem.
source:inspiration.allwomenstalk.com
source:inspiration.allwomenstalk.com
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