“No.” is a complete sentence.

How do you say no and not give an explanation?

Saying no without an explanation is a problem that I have always had. You’re asked to do something that you don’t want to do. You might be asked to go out for drinks with coworkers or someone might ask you to do something you know is not your job, it is there job and you’re already overwhelmed with your tasks. Your friend might want to make plans with you and you just don’t want to go.

I used to struggle with this a lot in the offices I worked in. I felt if I said no to additional tasks I would seem incompetent and bad at my job. If I said no to going out with coworkers for lunch or happy hour I would seem like a snob and no one would like me.

The reality was that the only person putting on the pressure to explain myself was me. If my boss asked me to do something and I was overwhelmed and I said no they would ask why and I would tell them I have to much on my plate. If my coworkers were going out to lunch and I said no they said ok and that was the end of the discussion.

Since I started this journey of becoming the boss of my life and started living life on my own terms, I have more confidence. I don’t feel pressured to say yes to something I don’t want to do. I have realized that you have to do what makes you happy, even if it doesn’t make other people happy.

Do you struggle with saying no? Let me know in the comments.