When someone asks you something you're unsure about
Here are a few ways to buy yourself more time to assess the situation.
- "I need a minute to regroup. Can we talk about this in an hour?"
- "Can we chat about this later today, after I've had some time to consider it?"
- To a friend who wants you to go to a dinner that sounds boring: "I'm going to say no to dinner, but I'd love to catch up another time."
- To the colleague who wants you to help with an extra project: "I can't, unfortunately. But once I finish up my current deadline, I can see if there's a way I can support you."
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#1. When someone asks something you’re just not sure about
It can be helpful to buy some time to analyze the situation and figure out what we want exactly.
- "I need some time to think. Can we pick this up in half an hour?" Or, "Can we talk about this later today, after I’ve had more time to think about it?”
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What to say to deflect nosy questions
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