We live in a world where people are always trying to pull each other down, either at work, school, or just on a social setting. Standing up for yourself can be really challenging if you’re used to letting others have their way or you’re a people pleaser. Unlearning the old habits of self-effacement and gaining the confidence to stand up for yourself won’t happen overnight, but the journey to improvement starts with the first step.
1. Be Confident.
Developing a strong sense of self-confidence is the first step towards standing up for yourself. If you don’t have any confidence or belief in yourself, how can you expect other people to? It’s easy for others to spot when someone is down on their luck and lacking in self-confidence and that makes them an easy target.
2. Develop A Good Attitude.
Your attitude is everything, it impacts how other people perceive you and even how you see yourself. Your attitude sets the tone of your voice, the quality of your thoughts, and is reflected in your facial expressions and body language.
3. Stop Viewing Yourself As A Victim.
When you behave as a victim, you do the very opposite of standing up for yourself. For many people, an inability to stand up for oneself is rooted in the fear of being rejected or laughed at, as a result of similar negative experiences in the past. By choosing to take these negative experiences personally and retreating into your shell, you stop standing up for yourself.
4. Set Goals For Yourself.
Goals give you a sense of purpose and control over your own destiny, and they help you realize what you truly want. This is an essential part of standing up for yourself and preventing others from walking all over you.
5. Feel Good About Yourself Physically.
While you don’t need to look like iron man or iron woman, your appearance does matter and looking fit, strong and healthy will give you greater confidence and help you to stand up for yourself. Choose an activity that you enjoy doing , whether it’s weight training, running, dancing or rock climbing and throw yourself into it.
6. Harness Your Awareness.
There is no script for getting what you want and deserve. It’s the energy behind your words and actions which get results. You must feel your confidence, power and strength. It is possible to transform your life and get what you want and deserve. You can cultivate new behaviors, and you most certainly can learn to truly honor and respect yourself.
7. Be Assertive.
Assertiveness is the key to standing up for yourself. It isn’t just a cliché, it’s a bona fide means for improving your chances of getting what you want and for being heard properly. Being assertive enables you to express your wants, needs, and preferences in a way that shows you’re prepared to stand up for yourself while still respecting the other person.
8. Learn How To Say No.
Learning how to say no is one of the hardest but most important ways of standing up for yourself. If you tend to be a “yes” person who never wants to let anyone down, you risk becoming a door-mat who everyone walks all over and takes advantage of.
9. Don’t Be Aggressive.
You should never resort to outright aggression in the process of standing up for yourself. Being aggressive, or even violent, is counter-productive and will not win you any friends. You are far more likely to achieve a positive result if you approach any issues as calmly and objectively as possible. You can still stand your ground and be firm and assertive without having to raise your voice or get angry.
10. Turn Negatives Into Positives.
Another way of standing up for yourself is to take the negatives thrown at you and transform them into good things. In the process of turning attacks inside out to find the good, you’ll often find that feelings of jealousy or insecurity are at the root of the attack.
