A lot of rushed yeses come from being caught off guard. Someone asks and you feel like you have to decide immediately. But you don’t. “Let me get back to you,” or “Can I check my schedule first?” buys you time to think clearly.
If saying no feels impossible in the moment, start small. Decline something minor. Practice it in low-stakes situations. It gets easier with repetition. And the more comfortable you get saying no, the less likely you’ll need to blame others for things you agreed to under pressure.