Real World Application of Saying “No”
Recently I read a section of a book about time management and I learned that it is okay to say “no” to someone who asks you for a favor. Sometimes, there is way too much going on in your life for you to just pile on more tasks you know you don’t have time for. We often feel obligated to say the word “yes” when someone asks us for a favor because maybe we don’t want to seem rude or maybe you feel better about yourself when you do help others. A major technique of time management is learning to tell people “no”, not even needing to explain yourself. This is something that I need to practice doing to help my time management skills.
I recently applied this new technique when I was asked to go out to dinner with my friends. I knew I had a lot of homework and tests to study for. Of course, every part of me wanted to be able to go with my friends. A little part of me was even feeling left out not being able to go, but I had lots of work to do that I knew I would pressure me on time if I had gone with them. I used the technique of saying “no” that I learned to see if I would finish my work more effectively and feel less stressed after.
After not going with my friends and staying home to finish my homework, I tracked how stressed I felt on a scale of 1–10. I felt noticeably less stressed than times I have procrastinated my homework. I also found I had more time to be able to relax after all my work was done, compared to having to go to bed or work right away. My stress level was at a 7 when I would not tell people “no”. After telling my friends “no” I felt my stress level was much lower at a 3. Telling my friends “no” played a major role in me being able to finish my homework more effectively and feeling less pressed for time. On top of that, I got a 100 on the quiz I had to study for!
I will continue to use this technique over the next few weeks as it applies. It was hard to tell somebody the word “no”, but if I keep on practicing, I hope it will become easier and I will have mastered that part of this soft skill.
