Saying No Is Not Mean

Saying No Is Not Mean

From Put it in a bubble by Marilyn Barker

June 10, 2026 · 15 min · Season 4 · Episode 6

About this episode

Marilyn Barker discusses the importance of saying no and how it can lead to better self-care and personal growth.

How many times have we said yes when every part of us was screaming no? Not because we wanted to but because saying no felt mean, selfish, or just too hard. In this episode Marilyn gets honest about her own experience with saying yes to everything, the burnout it created, and the moment she realized that saying yes to the wrong things was actually doing everyone a disservice including herself. This episode is a real and honest conversation about why saying no is not mean. It is actually one of the most responsible and respectful things we can do. For ourselves, for the people we love, and for the opportunities and clients that deserve our very best. Because saying no to the things that do not fit is exactly how we make room for the things that do. In this episode: Why so many of us struggle to say no and where that guilt actually comes from How saying yes to the wrong things in business costs everyone involved not just us Why our loved ones deserve our real presence not our exhausted obligatory one The power of not right now as a kind and honest alternative to yes How to use the bubble method when the guilt of saying no feels overwhelming Five practical tools for saying no with…

People in this episode

Host: Marilyn Barker

Topics covered

  • saying no
  • self-care
  • boundaries
  • burnout
  • mental health
  • personal growth

Keywords

  • saying no
  • self-improvement
  • burnout
  • mental health
  • boundaries
  • personal growth
  • guilt
  • bubble method

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