How to Decline Invitations!

Today’s I’m talking about decline invitations and dealing with unsolicited advice.

Do you agree to attend events, because you’re afraid of declining, for fear of hurting someone’s feelings?

Do you then feel resentful because you’d rather be doing something else?

Just because people invite you out, doesn’t mean you have to say yes.

If someone gives advice telling you what you should or shouldn’t be doing, does it mean you’re required to take the advice?

No!

If you get asked an uncomfortable personal question, do you have to answer?

No!

When you first set boundaries, and start saying no, it’s tough because you don’t want to hurt or disappoint others.

Doing so, will allow you to speak your truth and say what you need, and you’ll feel less resentment.

Watch “Kim Chat Live” for script ideas:

To Recap – 10 Helpful Scripts!

Let’s say a friend wants to meet for dinner, but you’ve planned a quiet night in. A good response is, “thank you so much for inviting me, maybe another time“. You can also say, “I have a quiet night planned at home, but thanks for the invite“.
How about if a well-meaning friend tells you that they think you’d look better wearing red lipstick, but you truly don’t like red lipstick or the way it looks on you? You could say, “oh red’s really not my color, I think I’ll stick with my pink, but thank you so much for the suggestion“.
What if someone asks a personal question that you don’t want to answer because it’s kind of private? You could say, “I’m really not comfortable answering that question“.
How about someone long-winded wanting to chat on the phone. You could say “sure, but I only have 15 minutes“. You could also say, “I’m not available right now, how about if we chat later“?
What if someone asks “why don’t you drink or why don’t you eat meat”? You could say “because I like to feel healthy, or it’s not good for me”.
If someone wants to have a difficult (on the spot) discussion (maybe before bed), you could say “I’m not prepared for this, could we please talk about this another time“. You could also say “this conversation has the potential to upset me and I don’t want it to disrupt my sleep, could we speak in the morning“?
If someone asks to visit you at your home, and you’ve made other plans, you could say “I already have other plans, maybe next time“.
If asked to pet sit, but committed to something else, say “I’m sorry that’s not going to work this time“.
If someone rushes you to sign a contract. You could say, “bear with me, it’ll take a few minutes, I’ll sign it as soon as I’m done reading“.
If a sales person pressures you into a purchase, you could say, “thanks for your help, I need to think about it, I’ll let you know“.

No Explanations Required!

When setting and enforcing boundaries, there’s no need for you to give an explanation.

Being kind and honest about what you want and need is an important part of self-care.

Yes, declining invitations and unsolicited advice is difficult at first!

It gets easier!

If boundary setting is difficult for you, grab the Beyond Boundaries Blueprint!

At one time I struggled with boundaries and, know how it feels to worry about how others will react. If you’d like to chat, reach out to me for a free discovery call!