If you find yourself stressed because you’re consistently spending your nights and weekends at the office instead of spending time with family and friends, you’re not alone. Even when you’re working from home, you can get caught up in the never-ending work cycle. Being overworked in today’s business environment is so common, it’s almost par for the course. It shouldn’t be, and the good news is that it doesn’t have to be.
Learning how to reasonably and confidently say “no” can make all the difference in the world. Many of us, especially women, have a very difficult time with boundaries in the workplace. The fear of not being seen as a team player, or even fear of reprisal, keeps employees chained to their desks, and that creates a very unhealthy situation with no work/life balance.
Fortunately, there are several ways to say no to extra work in a positive manner that will help recover your sense of well-being.
If you have difficulty discerning the types of things that are reasonable to say no to, here are some examples of scenarios to take a pass on:
- When the project is something someone else could accomplish better and in a shorter time frame and has no growth potential for your career path
- Assignments that will not contribute anything to the responsibilities and goals laid out by your manager
- Low-priority projects with impractical deadlines when you’re already working on a high-priority job
- Everyone’s most dreaded time sucker — the unnecessary meeting — is definitely a no.
When it’s time to say no, avoid details. Another helpful tactic is to buy yourself some time when you get ambushed with a request. Explain that you need time to consider the invitation and give a set time when you’ll get back to the requestor. Take a look at what’s already on your plate and what your calendar looks like and weigh the cost versus the benefits of taking on the job.
The decision doesn’t have to be a firm yes or no. If it’s a project you don’t have time for but you’d really like to sink your teeth into, negotiate to see if there is something you’re working on that can be reassigned, leaving you time for a new opportunity. If the assignment isn’t a good fit for whatever reason, offer reasonable alternatives.
If the request comes from your boss herself, instead of getting annoyed over the extra workload, take a deep breath and ask for a time the two of you can briefly meet. Take a list of all your current assignments and your calendar showing the deadlines you’re already committed to. Ask her to help you prioritize. Explain the consequences for the division and the company if you fail to meet any of your current commitments.
Be mindful of the language you use and don’t vent your frustration. By staying calm and confident, you should be able to negotiate your way to offload some of your workload, or, alternately, avoid taking on the new assignment.
This article has previously been published on Forbes.