Maintaining good mental health is essential for professionals to perform at their best. However, saying no can be a challenging task, especially for women who face societal pressure to be accommodating and nurturing. Saying yes to every request can lead to burnout, stress, and a lack of work-life balance.
So, how do we get over our fears to positively impact our mental balance? Sometimes the answer is as simple as saying “no”.
1. Be clear on YOUR priorities:
One of the most effective ways to prevent other people’s priorities from taking over is to be clear on your own priorities. Understanding what is most important to you can help you make informed decisions about what to say yes and no to. This could mean taking the time to identify your values and goals or creating a list of non-negotiable tasks that must be completed each day. If you’re struggling with setting priorities, consider reading the book “The No Club” by Linda Babcock, which offers tips for setting boundaries and achieving professional success.
2. Avoid answering in the moment:
It can be tempting to answer requests in the moment, especially if you don’t want to appear rude or unhelpful. However, taking the time to evaluate the request relative to your priorities can help you make more informed decisions. Create a go-to phrase you use to buy yourself space to evaluate the ask relative to your priorities.
My favorite is: “That sounds great! I know delivering on X is critical; let me take some time to ensure I have the capacity to deliver on that. Can I get back to you in 24 hours?”
If they push, I go to no because that’s much more likely to ultimately be the right answer (let’s call it 20% chance I should’ve said yes, 80% chance no… you can actually make a tally of your own numbers over the course of a week or month, so you know what they look like).
3. Use Bill Ury’s Yes/No/Yes:
Depending on how far down the rabbit hole you want to go: here are some additional resources I highly recommend based on your depth of relationships.
Protecting your peace can be difficult as a woman in the workplace so I challenge you to spend time this month exploring some strategies for saying no while protecting your mental health.
