Feeling Pressure to Say Yes
Brandon H.
Early on, I said yes to almost everything because I didn’t want to seem difficult. Extra sessions, schedule changes, last-minute requests, you name it. Over time, that started to wear me down. I’m learning that flexibility is not the same as having no boundaries. Curious how others learned to say no in this field.
What helped you do it without feeling guilty?
Post a Reply
You must be logged in to reply.
I think about it this way: if I take on too many responsibilities, it can negatively impact my mental and physical health. When that happens, I’m not able to show up at my best, and that ultimately affects the quality of services I provide to my clients.
In ABA, we’re supposed to teach skills while minimizing harm, and providing services when I’m burnt out or feeling guilty about overextending myself increases the risk of doing harm rather than good.
Because I care deeply about my clients and want what’s best for them, I’ve learned that sometimes that means limiting hours, alternating with another provider, or ensuring I have adequate rest so I can be fully present and effective.
That mindset is what’s helped me avoid taking on too many responsibilities, even when it’s hard to say no. I hope that helps. 😀
Hello Brandon just take on as much as you can handle. Like the most of us, we do this job for the clients but we need self care and peace of mind as well to be strong to continue loving what we do. Look at your schedule and plan around you. If there’s a day you do not mind taking on 8 hours of clients make sure thats the only day you are dedicated too! Hope that helps!
Put your “Yes Guilt” on a DRL schedule. We spend our days advocating for our clients wellness. We can do it for ourselves as well, because if we are drained we cannot provide quality services to our clients.