What is assertiveness?

What is assertiveness? Assertiveness is the ability to express your opinions and feelings without anxiety and in a way which does not infringe on the rights of others. 

It sounds simple but expressing yourself in an appropriate manner is not always easily achieved, and there are many of us who could benefit with a little help. 

Here are some tips to put you on the path to self-awareness.

1.       Assess your current persona.

• Do you tend to shy away from relationships both personal and in the workplace?
• Do you compare yourself to others?
• Do you devalue yourself and your achievements?
• Are you apprehensive about the future?
• Do you focus on what is not working in your life rather than what is?

It may be that you are not confident enough to assert your opinion, however at the other end of the spectrum it may be that you are more than able to express your thoughts, but often find that you have unsettled others in doing so.  Either way by asking yourself a few questions, you are on the way to addressing any issues.

2.       Recognize the differences between where you feel you are at the moment and where you would like to be in the future.

Pitching your assertiveness at appropriate levels is very much a case of modifying your behaviour which has very often been ingrained over many years. 

3.       Get an outsider’s view.  Talk to a trusted friend or relative to find out how you come across to others. 

Talking to someone for 20 minutes a couple of times a week can soon start to reap reward when you realise that you are not alone. 

4.       Begin to focus on how your life will change for the better.

There are many simple steps that you can take which can give you a taster of how much more enjoyable life can be.  Writing a simple list of what you have achieved over recent days will start to give you the confidence to continue your change.

5.       Seek out support.

Speak to a line manager in your workplace who may be able to offer you a mentor to support you. 

There are also many trained professionals who can offer courses and help you implement simple strategies to help you enjoy life more. 

At DY-3Solutions we are currently offering a Workplace and Personal Assertiveness Course.   In becoming more aware of who you are, you will soon start to reap the rewards.  Whether in your personal or work life, the strategies which we can give you will make you justifiably proud of who you are and what you achieve on a daily basis. 

It is a simple step to get on to the assertiveness ladder and we have the tools to help you climb it.  We understand that lack of self-belief and low levels of confidence are not reached over night and equally it takes time and dedication to change your mind set.

We begin with a range of tasks to help you recognize emotions at every level.  You will soon notice that you receive recognition and thanks for your efforts more often than you had imagined.

Contact us on 07984 409937 for further details on the course or to discuss how we can help you.  By making the call you are already on the way to improving your life in the long term.