If you’ve ever struggled with declining a request, we want to help.
Recently, we found ourselves in an awkward situation where many of our friends wanted us to do things that we didn’t feel like doing.
It turns out that our friends went through the same thing and reached out for help on how they could say no — without feeling guilty or being rude.
We found this so helpful that we decided to reach back and come up with some more ways for you too say no — without being a jerk!
The 10 things on this list will help you decline a request kindly while still being polite.
They may not necessarily work in every circumstance, but they will get the job done most of the time.
1. Acknowledge the value of the person’s request.
At the beginning of every interaction with someone, say, “I know I have a lot on my plate at this time, but I would love to help you if I can.
What do you need?” This puts the onus on them to try and get what they want without feeling like they are imposing on you.