Artwork for podcast Campus Chronicles
How to Say No Without Feeling Guilty
Episode 107 • 15th January 2026 • Campus Chronicles • Casa De Confidence Productions
00:00:00 00:06:27

Share Episode

Shownotes

When was the last time you said yes and immediately regretted it?

In this solo episode of Campus Chronicles, Brooke talks honestly about why so many students struggle to say no, and how constantly saying yes leads straight to burnout, resentment, and exhaustion.

From wanting to be liked, to not disappointing friends, professors, teammates, or partners, the pressure to be available all the time is real in university. Brooke shares her own experience with people pleasing, over apologising, and feeling guilty for setting boundaries, and explains why saying no is not rude or selfish. It is self respect.

This episode is a reminder that every yes costs something. Your time, your energy, your focus, and your peace. And when you say yes to everything, you are quietly saying no to yourself.

In this episode, Brooke covers:

• Why most of us were never taught how to say no

• How college culture rewards overcommitment

• The hidden cost of always being available

• Why guilt after saying no does not mean you were wrong

• How your nervous system reacts to new boundaries

• Simple, kind ways to say no without over explaining

• Why over apologising weakens boundaries

• How saying no protects your energy before burnout hits

• Why choosing yourself is not rejecting others

If you are tired, stretched thin, or constantly doing things you do not want to do, this episode will help you rethink what saying no actually means.

Transcripts

Speaker:

(Upbeat Music)

2

:

Campus Chronicles is the ultimate podcast

3

:

for college students seeking real

4

:

stories, honest advice and empowering

5

:

insights to thrive in

6

:

student life and beyond.

7

:

Hosted by Brooke Young and the Campus

8

:

Chronicles team, this weekly show

9

:

features inspiring interviews, practical

10

:

tips and conversations that tackle the

11

:

challenges, wins and personal growth that

12

:

comes with university life.

13

:

Perfect for college students, campus

14

:

leaders and young adults looking to make

15

:

the most of their

16

:

journey, one episode at a time.

17

:

Subscribe now on Apple Podcast, Spotify

18

:

or YouTube and join the community

19

:

redefining what it means

20

:

to thrive in university.

21

:

When was the last time you said yes and

22

:

immediately regretted it?

23

:

You knew you were tired, you knew your

24

:

schedule was already

25

:

packed, but you said yes anyways.

26

:

If that sounds familiar, this episode is

27

:

for you and it's an excellent reminder

28

:

for me because this is one of the big

29

:

things that I struggle with.

30

:

So hey friends, welcome

31

:

back to Campus Chronicles.

32

:

I'm Brooke and before we get into this, I

33

:

have a shameless ask.

34

:

If this podcast helps you navigate

35

:

college life, hit subscribe and share

36

:

this episode with

37

:

someone who needs to hear it.

38

:

It helps more students find these

39

:

conversations and it

40

:

truly makes a big difference.

41

:

All right, done with my shameless ask.

42

:

Let's talk about saying no.

43

:

Most of us were never

44

:

taught how to say no.

45

:

I know I certainly wasn't.

46

:

I was taught to be polite, to be helpful,

47

:

to not disappoint people.

48

:

And in college, that

49

:

pressure is everywhere.

50

:

You're trying to make friends, keep

51

:

professors happy, keep up romantic

52

:

relationships, friendship, for clubs,

53

:

teams, group projects.

54

:

You just wanna be seen as reliable.

55

:

And so you say yes, even when you're

56

:

exhausted, overwhelmed

57

:

and stretched way too thin.

58

:

And that's when the burnout creeps up

59

:

because here's the truth that

60

:

most people don't talk about.

61

:

Saying no does not make

62

:

you rude or a bad person.

63

:

And this is something I have struggled

64

:

with pretty tremendously is feeling like

65

:

if I say no, people are

66

:

gonna think badly of me.

67

:

But over time, I've begun to realize that

68

:

the price of never saying no is that I'm

69

:

constantly doing things that I don't

70

:

wanna do and I feel resentful.

71

:

And when I say no, I can actually be more

72

:

honest because a yes costs something.

73

:

Your time, your energy,

74

:

your focus, your sanity.

75

:

And when you say yes to everything,

76

:

you're quietly saying no to rest, your

77

:

priorities, your hobbies, your interests,

78

:

whatever you actually want to do.

79

:

And the cost adds up really, really fast

80

:

because saying no isn't rejecting people

81

:

like I always thought it was.

82

:

It's choosing you.

83

:

It sounds like I don't have the time for

84

:

that right now or I don't have the

85

:

capacity to do that right now.

86

:

And for the longest time, I thought that

87

:

would make me a terrible person if I said

88

:

that, but I realized it's

89

:

really actually self-respect.

90

:

You don't need a long

91

:

explanation or to over-apologize.

92

:

Over-apologizing has been my absolute

93

:

crutch offering way too many words and

94

:

way too much context to my now.

95

:

So I'm trying this and I

96

:

encourage you to try it with me.

97

:

Trying to keep it calm and simple, saying

98

:

things like I can't do that right now or

99

:

I don't have the band for this week, but

100

:

thank you so much for thinking of me.

101

:

Keeping it kind, keeping it respectful,

102

:

but keeping it significantly shorter.

103

:

Because if you feel guilty after saying

104

:

no, it doesn't actually mean that you

105

:

made the wrong choice.

106

:

It usually just means you

107

:

made a new unfamiliar one.

108

:

Your nervous system is catching up.

109

:

It's recalibrating.

110

:

And the more you practice

111

:

saying no, the easier it gets.

112

:

It's just like going to the gym and doing

113

:

an exercise where your

114

:

muscle gets stronger.

115

:

That's exactly what happens when you

116

:

exercise your right to say no.

117

:

It gets easier and you get stronger.

118

:

You don't owe access to everyone and you

119

:

don't have to earn or beg

120

:

or plead or barter for rest.

121

:

You're allowed to protect your energy

122

:

before you are completely

123

:

debilitated and drained.

124

:

Saying no isn't shutting doors.

125

:

It's choosing which ones

126

:

are actually worth opening.

127

:

So before you go, I

128

:

want to hear from you.

129

:

Head over to Instagram, find the Campus

130

:

Chronicles post for this episode and tell

131

:

me how you are

132

:

practicing saying no this week.

133

:

It's a decision that maybe you didn't

134

:

over explain or a boundary with your

135

:

time, but regardless, I want

136

:

to normalize this with you.

137

:

And if this episode helped you, subscribe

138

:

and share it with somebody in your life

139

:

who needs to hear this.

140

:

I'll see you next time.

141

:

So if today's episode gave you life,

142

:

perspective, or just a much needed moment

143

:

to breathe in a busy world, I don't want

144

:

you to keep it to yourself.

145

:

Share it, tag us, please send it to a

146

:

friend who needs to hear it.

147

:

And if you're not on our

148

:

newsletter yet, what are you doing?

149

:

Go to

150

:

campuschroniclespod.com and join the crew.

151

:

We have all the behind the scenes things,

152

:

unfiltered thoughts from me and the team,

153

:

bonus resources and insider only invites

154

:

to events, giveaways and things that we

155

:

really don't post anywhere else.

156

:

I promise I'm not going to spam you.

157

:

It's just the good stuff

158

:

straight to your inbox.

159

:

Being in university is wild enough.

160

:

You don't need to

161

:

miss out on what matters.

162

:

Sign up now and let's make this next

163

:

semester the one that you stop

164

:

surviving and start thriving.

165

:

Until next time, stay bold, stay curious,

166

:

keep writing your own chapter.

167

:

This is Campus Chronicles.

Links

Chapters

Video

More from YouTube