Everyday, we receive requests for our time, energy or support. Between friends, family, coworkers and romantic partners, these requests can sometimes be overwhelming.

It’s easy to focus more on fulfilling these requests than caring for ourselves, whether because we want to make our loved ones happy or because we fear saying no will make us appear unreliable or rude. 

But the reality is, saying yes to every request we receive can be harmful to our physical and emotional health. 

Overexerting ourselves can lead to exhaustion, burnout, stress and anxiety. It’s important to learn how to say no so we can learn how to prioritize ourselves and our needs before catering to those of others. 

The first step to learning to say no is realizing that everyone needs to decline offers, invitations and requests sometimes. Doing so doesn’t make you look rude, incompetent or disagreeable — it just makes you look human. 

Here are some tips for how to say no and how to say it right: