Learn How to Speak Up for Yourself

It can be daunting to speak up for yourself. There are many reasons that you’re hesitant to advocate for your needs. Some people worry about being rejected or others being upset with them. Standing up for yourself can be empowering and enhance your self-esteem. It may be scary at first, but the benefits outweigh the cost. Here are some tips that can help you stick up for you.

Identify how you feel

Before you engage in a confrontation, make sure you understand how you feel. Take a moment to write down your feelings on paper, talk about them with a close friend, or discuss them in therapy. It’s great to set boundaries and stand up for your needs, but before you can do that, it’s imperative to look inward and identify your feelings. Maybe you’re angry, sad, hurt, or frustrated with the situation. Embrace how you feel. The more you look inward, the better you will understand yourself. Emotional insight can help you in many areas of your life. 

Discover why you feel that way

Now that you know how you feel, it’s time to ask yourself why you feel that way. Who is causing you to be angry, sad, or hurt? What are they doing to trigger these feelings? What boundary are they crossing? Write down the person or people involved and what they’re doing to provoke your emotions. People push our boundaries all the time. It’s up to us what we do about it. Now you’re aware of what you feel and why you feel it. It’s time to take practice standing up for you.

Practice the confrontation

You’ve done the hard work. You understand your feelings and what prompted them. Now it’s time to make a game plan. If it helps, you can write down what you want to say to the person or people you’re standing up to so that you’re prepared. You can also roleplay the interaction. Ask a friend to help you practice. If you’re seeing a therapist, you can roleplay the interaction in a session. Another method that you can use in or out of therapy is called “the empty chair technique.” Set aside two chairs. You sit in one of them and pretend the person is in the other chair. Say everything you want to say to them without holding back. You can gain some confidence by roleplaying the interaction. 

Therapy can help

Standing up for yourself doesn’t have to be impossible. Even if you struggle with confrontation, you can work on being assertive with a therapist. You may not realize why you have trouble asserting yourself and expressing your wants and needs. When you talk to a therapist, they can help you identify why these are things that you struggle with and help you learn to set boundaries. You may not be sure what your mental health issues are. You can learn more about yourself by visiting Mind Diagnostics. Consider visiting a therapist; whether it’s online or in your local area, counseling can help you in a variety of ways, including advocating for yourself. 

Marie Miguel Biography

Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health- related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with Mind-Diagnostics.org. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.