The other day I noticed my friend looking very serious. It was over 5 years ago. I asked her what the problem is. She told that she had quit her job. I was shocked because it was only a couple of months back that she joined the organization. I asked her what the reason for quitting the job is.  When insisted, she gave the reasons that she didn’t know what to do with her current responsibilities. But again, couldn’t she have asked for help from others and let them know what her real problem is? Actually, it was a coveted job.

Here comes the role of speaking up for yourself

Whether it is personal or professional life, it is very easy for most of us to stand for the cause of others but when it comes to speaking up for ourselves we somehow falter. It cannot be entirely attributed to lower self-confidence too. We know our worth better, but why we fail to stand up for ourselves when something is done against our interest or when we don’t know what to do at times of predicament? Are we not comfortable in speaking up for ourselves?  We may have encountered certain situations in our life that stop us from advocating ourselves. We may have certain pre-conceived notions about self-advocacy.

Speaking up for yourself at work

Even at work, we fail to communicate our needs properly. For example, during the time of interview, we are not sure what we want from the profession. We may not negotiate the salary properly or we may not blow our trumpet too. It should be remembered that sometimes we only have to talk about ourselves. We know our journey better and are also aware of our shortcomings.

If you know your worth only you can communicate it

The major problem that most of us face is not knowing our worth. Though we may want to shine in our life, we fail to do it because we don’t talk about our strengths at the right moment. For example, in the interview, if you are no able to tell your strengths with clarity, then there is no use repenting over it. For this, you have to practice meditation, yoga, and should have the grit to face any problem in life.

Speaking up for yourself requires a bit of introspection

Sometimes, the very thought of introspection frustrates us; we think that introspection is a waste of time. But the truth is introspection can do wonders when done correctly. Good introspection helps us to have clarity of thoughts, and when there is clarity of thoughts, you can communicate assertively and honestly.

Fear of being criticized

Most of the times we don’t speak up for ourselves because of the thought of being criticized by the other person. But what we don’t understand is that we are at the receiving end when we don’t speak up for ourselves for the right cause at the right moment. People may think that we have indeed made a mistake when we don’t speak up for ourselves for the right cause.

Speaking up for yourself can boost your mental health

Sometimes, when you don’t speak for yourself, you are causing lot of tension to yourself. If you tell your concerns in an authentic manner, everyone will understand.

Golden tip – Just be crisp when you speak up for yourself

When speaking up for yourself, keep it short. There is no need to overemphasize your thoughts. You are speaking up for yourself primarily because of genuine concerns.

I can understand that self-advocacy is not that easy, but once you know your strengths and weaknesses well, you can do it with perfection.