Being nice is nice. It gives you a warm glow inside helping out your fellow man. Sometimes, however, you feel that you’re too nice. A friend calls you, asks a favor, and despite the pile up of obligations, you say yes. Of course, it was nice that you came to his rescue, but you feel depressed that you failed to stand up for yourself.  So, when is the right time to say no to someone? How do you know what moment to assert yourself?

The answer’s simple. It’s in your gut.

Something’s definitely wrong when your gut wrenches. This indicates that you feel you’re being manipulated, twisted or given the short end of the stick. Most fail to listen to this inner intuition. They say yes right away, while their stomach screams nooooo!

Trust your instincts next time. Next time you feel bad about something, pause. Evaluate your response before aceding. It’s the first step to truly asserting yourself.