THE capacity to advocate for oneself is beneficial in many spheres of life. Individuals should always treat one another with love, compassion, and justice in an ideal society. There would be no dishonesty, deceiving, or other types of fraud or malevolent behaviour. Learning to advocate for oneself is a life skill that will come in handy in a variety of scenarios.
Sadly, such a world does not exist. Even while there are many of ethical people, they frequently have questionable rivals who engage in deceitful and generally distasteful actions that can lead to unfavourable outcomes. We are likely to encounter some persons who will try to harm us in some way at some point or another.
There are typically two choices available when this happens. Either you choose to remain invisible and allow mishaps to continue, or you choose to be bold and defend yourself. Here are seven suggestions for defending oneself in any circumstance.
Learn when to say “no”
This is an important key point. Many individuals agree to everything because they are fearful of disappointing other people. Some of us try our best to avoid conflict because we don’t enjoy it. Saying no to demands that you can’t meet or lack the power to fulfil is, nonetheless, a healthy and acceptable reaction. Saying no might be more challenging in a working context. Instead of saying “no”, try asking a colleague for help, or asking your manager to prioritise assignments if you have been overburdened.
Pick your battles
While it is always a good idea to defend oneself, there will be moments when you must consider your alternatives and select your fights. For instance, you can decide to keep your mouth shut if you know that you will not need to engage with someone again. You could decide to go directly to HR or another third-party mediator if you have prior experience with a person who you know is not receptive to feedback or has behaviour issues.
Identify what bothers you
Understanding your priorities as well as the statements or behaviours that irritate you might assist you in establishing appropriate limits for yourself. Recognise your own requirements to stop always caving in to other people’s demands. Helping others and making concessions might be advantageous in some circumstances, but if you consistently put your needs last in order to appease or accommodate others, you run the danger of making yourself feel more stressed and anxious. Learn to recognise your limits and boundaries. To stand up for yourself, you must first identify what causes you discomfort.
Body language
It might be beneficial to pay closer attention to your body language if you struggle with assertiveness to give yourself a small confidence boost as well as to make sure you are communicating with others clearly. This might entail having open body language so you look more receptive to discussion during work purposes. But working on how you feel about yourself might help you actually present an authoritative image. Start by being positive on the inside. Get enough rest, eat well, take care of your emotional wellbeing, and establish relationships with people around you. It should be noticeable on the outside if you are feeling happy within.
Defend yourself calmly
Take control of yourself when someone attempts to bring you down or even hurt you physically, and defend yourself vocally when provoked or assaulted. Speaking your mind is far preferable to simply standing there fuming in anger. You have shown yourself and to others that you will not tolerate disrespect, even if the outcome stays the same. Most of the time, especially when there is a crowd, a courteous but clear description of the disrespectful statement or behaviour will be sufficient to attract focus to the need for it to change. Clearly defining what you require and how confident you feel depends in large part on the voice you use and the pace of your speech. Ultimately, how you protect yourself will rely on the circumstances, and if the other person is aggressive, put your safety first. It’s not worth it.
Being able to advocate for oneself is really important as you go through this life. Keep your identity in mind and understand that you are capable. Life can be difficult at times, and that’s okay. What seems to be a challenging situation is frequently just a chance in disguise. Despite of what challenges life presents, you can keep your objectives and needs from being undercut if you know who you are, and when to say no.
