How to Say No Without Feeling Guilty

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(Upbeat Music)

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Campus Chronicles is the ultimate podcast

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for college students seeking real

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stories, honest advice and empowering

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insights to thrive in

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Hosted by Brooke Young and the Campus

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Chronicles team, this weekly show

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comes with university life.

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Perfect for college students, campus

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Subscribe now on Apple Podcast, Spotify

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or YouTube and join the community

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to thrive in university.

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When was the last time you said yes and

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immediately regretted it?

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You knew you were tired, you knew your

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schedule was already

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packed, but you said yes anyways.

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If that sounds familiar, this episode is

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for you and it's an excellent reminder

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for me because this is one of the big

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things that I struggle with.

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So hey friends, welcome

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back to Campus Chronicles.

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I'm Brooke and before we get into this, I

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have a shameless ask.

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If this podcast helps you navigate

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college life, hit subscribe and share

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this episode with

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someone who needs to hear it.

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It helps more students find these

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conversations and it

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truly makes a big difference.

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All right, done with my shameless ask.

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Let's talk about saying no.

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Most of us were never

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taught how to say no.

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I know I certainly wasn't.

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I was taught to be polite, to be helpful,

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to not disappoint people.

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And in college, that

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pressure is everywhere.

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You're trying to make friends, keep

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professors happy, keep up romantic

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relationships, friendship, for clubs,

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teams, group projects.

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You just wanna be seen as reliable.

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And so you say yes, even when you're

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exhausted, overwhelmed

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and stretched way too thin.

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And that's when the burnout creeps up

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because here's the truth that

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most people don't talk about.

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Saying no does not make

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you rude or a bad person.

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And this is something I have struggled

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with pretty tremendously is feeling like

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if I say no, people are

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gonna think badly of me.

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But over time, I've begun to realize that

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the price of never saying no is that I'm

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constantly doing things that I don't

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wanna do and I feel resentful.

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And when I say no, I can actually be more

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honest because a yes costs something.

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Your time, your energy,

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your focus, your sanity.

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And when you say yes to everything,

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you're quietly saying no to rest, your

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priorities, your hobbies, your interests,

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whatever you actually want to do.

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And the cost adds up really, really fast

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because saying no isn't rejecting people

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like I always thought it was.

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It's choosing you.

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It sounds like I don't have the time for

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that right now or I don't have the

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capacity to do that right now.

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And for the longest time, I thought that

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would make me a terrible person if I said

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that, but I realized it's

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really actually self-respect.

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You don't need a long

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explanation or to over-apologize.

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Over-apologizing has been my absolute

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crutch offering way too many words and

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way too much context to my now.

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So I'm trying this and I

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encourage you to try it with me.

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Trying to keep it calm and simple, saying

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things like I can't do that right now or

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I don't have the band for this week, but

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thank you so much for thinking of me.

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Keeping it kind, keeping it respectful,

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but keeping it significantly shorter.

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Because if you feel guilty after saying

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no, it doesn't actually mean that you

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made the wrong choice.

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It usually just means you

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made a new unfamiliar one.

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Your nervous system is catching up.

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It's recalibrating.

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And the more you practice

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saying no, the easier it gets.

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It's just like going to the gym and doing

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an exercise where your

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muscle gets stronger.

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That's exactly what happens when you

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exercise your right to say no.

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It gets easier and you get stronger.

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You don't owe access to everyone and you

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don't have to earn or beg

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or plead or barter for rest.

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You're allowed to protect your energy

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before you are completely

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debilitated and drained.

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Saying no isn't shutting doors.

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It's choosing which ones

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are actually worth opening.

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So before you go, I

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want to hear from you.

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Head over to Instagram, find the Campus

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Chronicles post for this episode and tell

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me how you are

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practicing saying no this week.

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It's a decision that maybe you didn't

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over explain or a boundary with your

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time, but regardless, I want

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to normalize this with you.

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And if this episode helped you, subscribe

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and share it with somebody in your life

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who needs to hear this.

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I'll see you next time.

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So if today's episode gave you life,

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perspective, or just a much needed moment

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to breathe in a busy world, I don't want

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you to keep it to yourself.

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Share it, tag us, please send it to a

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friend who needs to hear it.

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Go to

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Sign up now and let's make this next

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Until next time, stay bold, stay curious,

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keep writing your own chapter.

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This is Campus Chronicles.