The two words you need to help you push back at work

The two words you need to help you push back at work

Bosses can often feel like they hold all the power, making it challenging to say “no” to their requests. Trying to impress rather than disappoint can lead to a slippery slope of ambition, where work begins to infiltrate personal time with family and friends. Setting boundaries is crucial in order to maintain a healthy work-life balance, experts say.

Helen Tupper, a career coach and co-founder of Squiggly Careers, suggests a simple language shift to help reinforce boundaries. Instead of saying “I can’t,” she advises using “I don’t,” which is more definitive and harder to challenge. For example, Tupper recommends saying, “I don’t attend meetings after 5pm on Wednesdays because I pick up my kids then.”

Celebrities like model and TV chef Lorraine Pascale have experienced burnout due to an inability to say no. Pascale found herself overwhelmed by taking on too much, leading to physical and mental exhaustion. She admits that her perfectionism and fear of upsetting others contributed to her burnout, emphasizing the importance of learning to decline certain requests.

Dr. Claire Ashley, author of The Burnout Doctor, emphasizes the need to establish firm routines to complete the stress cycle and allow for time off. Adjusting goals based on one’s current mental and emotional capacity is also crucial in preventing burnout. Recognizing individual limitations and learning to say no more often can help individuals avoid reaching the breaking point

Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More