I am a person who has a hard time saying no. As much as I want to decline, I want to please others more. I find myself getting taken advantage of and not respecting my own time because of this. How do I set boundaries without seeming rude?
1 Answers
There's no need to feel guilty or rude when setting boundaries - you're simply taking care of yourself, which is important! I know you mentioned that it is difficult to say no. But the first thing to do when you are trying to set boundaries is to learn how to say "NO". This is a complete sentence, so you don't need to make any excuses or explanations. Just state your position firmly. If the other person persists, you can give a brief explanation of why you cannot do what they are asking, but don't go into too much detail. Simply saying "I'm sorry, I can't do that" should suffice.
Another tip for setting boundaries is to be assertive. This means standing up for yourself and what you believe in, even if it goes against what others want. Assertiveness is not the same as aggressiveness - you don't need to be loud or pushy. Just state your position in a calm and confident manner.
Please login or Register to submit your answer