How to Say No Without Guilt

How to say no without guilt is a common struggle for Moms but also for most highly empathetic people. The fear of letting people down or upsetting others can make saying no extremely uncomfortable. You may worry about hurting someone. That worry may feed a fear that you will then be seen as uncaring, lazy, incompetent, or otherwise judged. There are many articles with step-by-step instructions for the logistics of politely saying no. However, it’s one thing to know the steps and another thing to follow through on them.

Ultimately, as social creatures, saying no may hit a primal fear of being rejected. You have layers of internalized expectations from society, family, and the patterns in your own life that feed these feelings. That means being able to say no isn’t just about saying no to things you think you don’t want to do. Your time and energy are finite resources, so sometimes it’s about capacity. How to say no is also about knowing what’s yours to do and what’s not yours.

In this episode of Unlimited, I explore the mindset shifts for how to say no without guilt and the logistics of doing so in relationships with others.

Some of what I talk about in this episode includes:

  • Why saying no is so hard
  • When it’s okay to be selfish
  • Dealing with people who don’t get it
  • Letting go of control
  • Saying yes in order to say no


LINKS REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE:
How to Stop Reacting and Start Responding
Setting Healthy Boundaries
Setting Holiday Boundaries
Creating Healthy Boundaries Group Coaching
Holiday Support Coaching Session
Recording Coaching Session Application
Ask Val Anonymous Form

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