Saying no is pretty much a requirement in everyday life. Throughout their day, most people say no at least once. It’s common for people to struggle with saying no in certain situations or doing certain tasks. Whether it’s at work, a social obligation, or simple questions and favors, it might just be hard to say no. What happens when the burdening questions of the day start to take a toll on you, in more ways than one, due to your inability to say no?

There are many reasons that people struggle to say no. One major reason people struggle to say no is to please others. There are also people who say yes to things out of fear, which is a bad mannerism. If someone feels like they are disappointing the ones around them or not meeting the expectations of their assigned task, saying no gets harder. As well as people who struggle with feeling responsible for the task they are asked to do. They might ask themselves, “If I don’t do this who will?” That could also turn into guilt. People may also fear someone disliking them for saying no, or possibly something bad happening.

Not being able to say no takes a heavy physical and mental effects on a person. If you are constantly taking more than you can handle, you’d be spreading yourself to thin and over exhausting yourself. It can put them under a tremendous amount of stress, which can cause a lack or increase of sleep that isn’t healthy. Symptoms of anxiety and depression can also show up in a person who is overly stressed.

Honesty is the best policy, when it comes to saying no, just be honest. If you fear to say no to someone because you don’t want to hurt them, saying yes can hurt them more. You don’t need to make excuses to not do something. If you don’t want to do it or can’t for any reason, just don’t. When you start saying no to you may feel guilty, that’ll take time to change. However, even if you feel guilty, you don’t need to apologize for taking care of yourself. Other solutions can include starting out little, saying no to the little things that aren’t so important. As long as you are sincere and listen no one should be to hurt.