Video: Master the art of saying no By Mayo Clinic Staff Share Facebook Twitter Print details Feeling stressed by the demands of daily life? If you have too much on your plate or are consumed by a busy schedule, you may be saying yes too much. It's time to start saying no, and then sticking to it. Discover tips and tricks for getting back to a saner schedule — no guilt, no hard feelings. Show transcript Master the art of saying no When it comes to taming stress, you have more power than you think. Focus on what matters. Before you commit, consider how the request fits (or not) with your priorities. Weigh the yes-to-stress ratio. Volunteering a batch of cookies is quick versus heading up a fundraising committee for months. Nix the guilt. It's never a good reason to say yes. You'll likely end up feeling resentful and more stressed. Cut to the chase. Briefly explain why you're saying no. But there's no need to elaborate or make up excuses. Hit replay if you need to. You may need to refuse the request a few times before the other person accepts it. Guidance from the experts at the Mayo Clinic Executive Health Program.Get more healthy action tips delivered daily when you download the Mayo Clinic app. Show references Stress and your health fact sheet. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/stress-your-health.html. Accessed March 11, 2016. How stress affects your health. American Psychological Association. http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/stress.aspx. Accessed March 12, 2016. Barbara Woodward Lips Patient Education Center. Stress management. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2004. Seaward BL. Essentials of Managing Stress. 4th ed. Burlington, Mass.: Jones & Bartlett Learning; 2017. Seaward BL. Managing Stress: Principles and Strategies for Health and Well-Being. 7th ed. Sudbury, Mass.: Jones & Bartlett Learning; 2012. Olpin M, et al. Time and life management. In: Stress Management for Life. 4th ed. Boston, Mass.: Cengage Learning; 2016. Shrand J, et al. Creating a stress-reduction plan. In: Manage Your Stress: Overcoming Stress in the Modern World. New York, N.Y.: St. Martin's Press; 2012. Noble M. Create and live your personalized stress management plan. In: Live Well: Personalized Stress Relief for Young Professionals. Raleigh, N.C.: Lulu Press Inc.; 2014. http://www.lulu.com/shop/melanie-noble/live-well-personalized-stress-relief-for-young-professionals/ebook/product-21540098.html. Accessed Sept. 28, 2017. Powell M. In the meantime. In: Stress Relief: The Ultimate Teen Guide. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press Inc.; 2007. VID-20314206