The simple way to say no to people at work and make it stick - Debut

The simple way to say no to people at work and make it stick - Debut The workplace can be a treacherous place sometimes. If youre not careful, the politics and the social dynamics of the office might just swallow you whole. This kind of thing can be especially difficult if youre a new starter. I remember me on my first day at Debut HQ bright-eyed, bushy-tailed and as nervous as BBC News interviewee when naptime is over. My new peers were good to me and took me under their collective wing like the baby bird I was. But since I was an intern at the time, I felt awkward turning down anything. This led to me taking on a whole load of tasks when I was already swamped with things to do and drinking nearly every cup of coffee offered to me out of sheer self-destructive politeness. Eventually, with practice and a caffeine detox, I became the Content Creator you all know and love. But had I known this indispensable life hack, I could have gotten there a lot sooner. I dont want you, our dear sweet Debutants, to suffer. So Im gonna let you in on it. How to say no in the workplace and mean it As much as being a helpful intern or being the offices shoulder to cry on is a good thing, it soon starts to take a toll on your mental health and performance. Research has shown that offering to help your co-workers too frequently can actually make you worse at your job. Thats why a little word like no can make such a giant meaningful difference. But how do you find a better way to say no at work? According to Mental Floss, its as simple as having the right semantics. Choose your words carefully. Are you saying no and then finding yourself easily budged? Trying using dont where you would use cant. Why does this work? Well, it goes back to a 2012 study in the Journal of Consumer Research, which found that the way a statement was framed had an effect on how well people thought they could stick to it. When you tell yourself that you dont eat junk food as opposed to you cant eat junk food, you trick yourself into thinking that its a hard and fast rule. Dont, semantically speaking, is unbreakable. Cant implies that that you would do it if not for something like your own force of will getting in the way. The same goes for when youre talking to other people. Next opportunity, try telling someone you dont work during your lunch break because you need your space. Theyll probably respect you for it rather than try and talk you out of it. So take heed, friends and make your refusals powerful. As you go on with your work, start telling people that you dont say yes to things you should say no to. It might save you a lot of time and sanity. Download the Debut app and connect with top graduate employers in an instant. Connect with Debut on Facebook and Twitter