Assertiveness is a skill that CAN be learnt. If you grew up in a home where assertiveness was not demonstrated, it might be more difficult to understand and have an intuitive feel for it, and that is normal. If you …
Tag: healing journey
Making Your way From Passive to Assertive
Being assertive is NOT being bossy or selfish. Being assertive is knowing what you need for self-care and being able to create effective boundaries. It is having the confidence to speak up in the face of injustice. The world needs …
Normalising Despair
“Despair is the price one pays for self-awareness. Look deeply into life, and you'll always find despair.” ― Irvin D. Yalom, When Nietzsche Wept
Working with YOUR Passive-Aggressive Behaviour
Most passive-aggressive people have usually learnt this form of communication /behaviour from their parents or a parent. I find one of the major reasons for passive-aggressive behaviour is essentially conflict avoidance. The thought of getting into a fight that you …
Detecting Passive-Aggressive Behaviour.
A lot of passive-aggressive communication comes from a difficulty with communicating assertively. It can be challenging for passive-aggressive people to share things they think might be received negatively. They might find it difficult to: say ‘no’ put boundaries in place …
Advantages of Assertiveness
Assertiveness is when we have strong self-esteem and maintain healthy boundaries. Assertive communication is direct and clear and makes space for the other person. When we are assertive, we tend to experience less anxiety and depression because we can stand …
Taking Time Out from Your Family
It can be terrifying when you just think of the responses. You already know the tyranny of attacks coming your way, the talking about you behind your back, the guilt-tripping. Oh, yes, the guilt-tripping! Finding the right words that will …
Taking a Break from a Relationship
Taking a Break from a Relationship It’s okay to take a break from a relationship while you work on it. It is okay to be in therapy, taking the time and space you need to get clear on what is …
Understanding Assertive Communication
We usually end up having the communication patterns we learned as children. If you grew up in an unsafe environment, you might have responded by becoming passive and being quiet to stay safe, or you might have spoken up in …
Anger as a Sign to put a Boundary in Place
Anger is an emotion that is often a messenger. It is great to get curious about what the message is and if a boundary needs to be put in place. For example, suppose one of your friends repeatedly criticises your …