If you are overwhelmed and overextended at work, you may need to practice the time management tool of saying “no” more often.
Article originally posted by Lucy Paulise @Forbes.com
Saying “no” doesn’t come easy for many of us. We often overextend ourselves, whether it’s due to people-pleasing, fear of missing out or underestimating the time tasks will take. Current work cultures promote collaboration and helping others while at the same time cultivating the idea of continuous growth by adding new responsibilities. It makes us feel bad for saying no or declining a meeting, but our day never ends. These tendencies can lead to burnout, diminished productivity, and the inability to focus on your most important work.
Developing the ability to set boundaries and decide intentionally how to use one’s time is a way to balance collaboration, growth, and self-care.
Reframing The Potential Conflict
One key reason we tend to say “yes” more often than “no” is the immediate emotional relief people-pleasing provides, easing the discomfort of potential conflict. However, instead of viewing it as conflict, reframe the conversation as an honest assessment of whether you’re the best person for the task. If you cannot complete it on time or lack the expertise, your candid feedback might be more helpful than forcing a “yes.” Being upfront allows you and the other party to collaborate on finding the best way forward.
The Spectrum of No: From “No” to “Yes, But”
Learning to say no doesn’t have to be black and white. Ask questions before agreeing to a task so that you fully understand what it entails. Consider the following spectrum:
1. No:
It’s useful when a request clearly doesn’t align with your priorities or workload. For example, “I’m currently focused on other projects and won’t be able to take this on right now,” or “No, it is not my expertise”.
2. Yes, but…:
If the request is important but requires boundaries, use this option. For example, “Yes, but I can only dedicate an hour to this project, so I won’t be able to deliver the full scope.” or “I can’t handle this entire task, but I’m happy to help with a small portion.”
3. It depends, can you tell me more?:
This is useful when assessing whether the task fits your priorities. You can say, “Yes, maybe—let me check my schedule and get back to you.” or you can ask what piece of the tasks is more urgent, and you can propose a timeline based on your possibilities.
Vasundhara Sawhney describes in her Harvard Business Review article other ways to respond depending on who is requesting it.
Managing Meetings and Emails
Saying “no” is about accepting or declining tasks and meetings, emails and events. Before accepting any meetings, find out if:
- You are the right person to be involved or can delegate to someone else
- The meeting is necessary or could be solved with an email or a phone call
- The meeting has a clear objective and agenda
- The timing of the meeting makes sense based on the urgency and importance of the tasks at hand
Studies show that more than 85% of their time is spent in meetings. The worst part is that half of them are unproductive.
Email management works the same way. If you feel like you shouldn’t be copied or you are not interested, ask to be removed, hit unsubscribe or use Sanebox to clean your inbox.
Visualizing Your Workload
One easy way to help you prioritize is by visualizing your workload. Tools like timeboxing or scheduling tasks on your calendar can help you see your commitments more clearly. Visualizing your day in scheduled blocks instead of to-do list items makes it easier to recognize when you’re overbooked and need to say no. By assigning specific times to your tasks, you force yourself to prioritize what truly matters. If a new request comes in and you don’t have a time slot for it, you know it’s time to say “no” or “yes, but.”
When you say no to tasks that don’t align with your core responsibilities, you’re saying yes to being more productive, focused, and valuable. It is not about being unhelpful; it’s about protecting your time and energy so you can do your best work.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed and need personalized support to streamline your time management, boost productivity, or prepare for the final stretch of the year, consider one-on-one coaching. As a certified career coach, I help high-achieving professionals develop practical strategies tailored to their unique needs, from timeboxing to overcoming burnout. Let’s work together to help you achieve your goals with less stress and more confidence. Book a coaching session here or check my latest online course, Timeboxing with Compassion.
