How to Be Your Own Advocate When Facing Fears
When facing challenges, it can be hard to speak up for yourself in a workplace, relationship or many other situations. Sometimes decisions get made without your say, affecting your well-being, so you need to speak up confidently and assertively. You may not feel comfortable advocating for yourself in certain situations, but learning how to speak up is important. Your needs are valid and worth speaking up about.
Here is how to be your own advocate when facing fears.
know yourself
When advocating for yourself, you must know your values and needs. Knowing this will help you operate better when you realize you are not receiving the support you need in a certain context. Figure out what matters most to you and why. It will make it clear for learning how you accomplish tasks. It can also involve figuring out how to maintain your emotional and physical well-being. Having a happy and secure inside makes you more confident on the outside.
When you know all these important things about yourself, it will be easier to advocate for your needs. If it is clear to you what you need, it makes it easier to communicate with others.
find confidence
Many women struggle with feelings of imposter syndrome, which can get in the way of pursuing opportunities or equal treatment. While men often apply to jobs or seek promotions despite being underqualified, women often feel like they need to be 100% qualified before they can do anything.
Finding the confidence to put yourself out there is key in achieving your goals. Remind yourself of all of your accomplishments and skills that would make an employer lucky to have you. List out all of your positive qualities to prepare for your next date or social event. Positive affirmations can go a long way in proving to yourself that you deserve success and happiness.
create a plan
When you determine your needs and values, you can plan for success. When you are prepared, it makes it easier to advocate for yourself. Think about how to achieve the goal you set out for yourself. You can even ask for feedback about your ideas from others you trust or people with the same values as you. Come together to consider all your options so you can act the best way.
be assertive and communicate
There is a difference between engaging assertively and negatively with people in a situation. Although you may feel overwhelmed and your needs aren’t being respected, maintaining a calm and professional composure will increase the chances of them listening to what you are saying and taking it seriously. Demonstrating a clear and firm tone won’t be perceived as an attack but could gain your respect since you communicate your needs.
set boundaries
Depending on the situation and the people involved, your demand might take time to resolve. Boundaries are a form of self-care you can set to protect yourself in the meantime. For example, if you advocate for yourself in a workplace, you may change things about your availability and workload. Keep reminding the people around you of your perspective if they aren’t respectful towards them.
overcome your fears
Speaking up may sound like your worst nightmare. If you never advocate for yourself, you will constantly be in a state where your needs aren’t met. Work towards advocating for yourself because your needs and values matter no matter the circumstance.
Cora Gold is the Editor-in-Chief of women’s lifestyle magazine, Revivalist. She has a passion for writing about ways to live a happy, healthy, and fulfilling life, especially for new moms.