While there are obvious situations when a straight-up “NO” is the only proper response, there are times when you may need to be a bit more diplomatic as you uphold a boundary.
Boundaries are important for your mental, emotional and physical well being, and are a key success strategy to help meet your goals.
For instance, if you are looking to eat more nutritious foods, exercise, or build stress management practices into your life, and there is someone or something in your life that is getting in the way of those goals, you may need to start saying “no” more often.
Here are some of the most effective ways to say no without hurting someone’s feelings or having to give a detailed explanation.
● I need to prioritize my nutrition, physical and emotional needs right now.
● Thank you for thinking of me. I don’t have space for that right now.
● Although that sounds like fun, I’ll need to take a rain check.
● Although I appreciate the invite/offer, I’m going in a different direction.
● My plate is as full as I’d like it to be now. Thank you for thinking of me.
These short phrases soften the “no’ with a short explanation that should stop the conversation and in most situations not require you to explain further.
