Have You Said No To Things You Did Not Want To Do?

Have you ever tried saying no to things that you did not want to do?

If you haven't, why so?

According to Psychology Today's article entitled The Power of Saying No, the reason why we say yes to things we do not want to, is because we want to feel accepted by the group or the circle we are involved in. 

According to the same article, saying no can build boundaries with other people, strengthen your self-esteem and confidence in the benefit of a stable mental health.

According to Ahona Guha D.Psych article in Psychology Today entitled How (and Why) to say No, some questions you can ask in order to understand whether you want to say yes or no to a proposal are the below:

1. Do you want to do this activity/favour etc?
2. Do you have the energy and time to do this activity/favour etc?
3. Will this activity/favour add value to your everyday life and does it align with your belief system?
4. Why are you scared of saying no?

Karen Stollznow Ph.D. in her article in Psychology Today entitled "The Art of Saying "No" supports that people think that saying no will have bigger consequences on them than it will actually have. People worry too much about the other person's response, whereas in fact the other person will not even make a fuss about it.

As a result, some practical tips on saying no, according to Jeffrey Bernstein Ph.D. in his article How to Say No Without Feeling Guilty are the below:

1. Practice saying no in smaller situations 
2. Respect yourself and put your needs first
3. Be honest
4. Put some thought in your words before answering the question

So,  have you said no to things you did not want to do?

How did that make you feel?

2025