In recent surveys, a staggering 43% of adults say that they struggle to assert themselves effectively. Whether it’s at work or in our personal lives, assertiveness is essential if we don’t want to be taken advantage of. While some people are naturally assertive, others need a little help and, in this article, we’re looking at how seeking professional assertiveness training could change your life.
Getting On Course For A More Assertive Future
When it comes to becoming more assertive, lots of people choose to see an individual trainer or mentor in their local areas. While this can be effective it will often be quite expensive and time-consuming. Others may choose a self-help book or video series. Although both of these things can help to improve assertiveness, there is a more convenient, effective and affordable way. As with so many other things these days, the answer lies online. Every year a huge number of people benefit from an assertiveness training course which can be completed at home.
This type of course is designed to help you to overcome assertiveness barriers and is particularly useful for those who find it hard to say no or to set boundaries. Non-assertive people will often feel that they are being held back in life simply because they are unable to stand up for themselves. Although in-person courses are available in most areas, most people prefer to go with an online option which they can complete in their own time and in their own space.
How Can A Course Help To Change My Life?
Assertiveness training can bring positive change to your life in a number of ways, including:
Improved communication
Communication is one of the most basic skills that we humans possess. When boiled down to its primitive components, communication allows us to signal danger and pass on instructions. In the modern world however, advanced communication skills are vital for expressing ourselves effectively. In the workplace, improved communication makes us better leaders and allows us to push ourselves forward. In our personal lives, assertion helps us to stand up for ourselves and to set boundaries for our relationships. .
Better conflict resolution
Conflict is something that we all have to deal with at one time or another and while some avoid it like the plague others seem to thrive on it. Assertiveness training can help you to achieve a happy medium here by showing you how to handle conflict more effectively – and in a way that doesn’t cause resentment or an escalation of the issue. Conflict resolution is a skill that really can’t be overstated and nailing this through assertiveness training will serve you extremely well in almost every part of your day to day life.
Healthier relationships
In both our personal and professional lives, relationships play a huge role in our mental wellbeing. A healthy relationship requires a combination of respect, empathy and a willingness to compromise. Some people, however, find that their relationships can be unbalanced, leading to stress and conflict. An assertiveness course is a great way of better understanding the dynamics of your relationships and to therefore improve them through better assertiveness.
Training will also help you to attract more fulfilling relationships. In many cases, people will find themselves in coercive relationships because the other person has initially recognised their lack of assertion. By projecting a more confident and assertive persona, we can better avoid these types of people.
Increased confidence
It’s a simple fact that confident people tend to be more assertive and we often feel envious of those who seem to have been born with this particular trait. The good news is that it is possible to improve our confidence levels through training. These courses can help you to “fake it til you make it” by projecting confidence that you may not yet feel. This, in turn, with practice, turns into real life confidence when you see the results of your perceived confidence. We’re not saying that this will happen overnight but it will happen.
Reduced stress
How many times have you silently berated yourself for not standing up to somebody? This is extremely common and can feel quite stressful. Similarly, finding yourself in an unwanted situation because of your lack of assertiveness can also stress you out. We’re now all aware that taking care of our mental health is of paramount importance and reducing stress can really help here. When we learn to better assert ourselves, we avoid some situations that can have a negative impact on our mental health and therefore reduce our stress levels.
Getting ahead at work
As children we’re taught that we can get ahead just by working hard. Sadly, in many cases, it takes a little bit more than that. While it might not be fair, people who understand the importance of assertiveness will usually be more successful more quickly. An example of this would be the art of negotiation – assertiveness training can help you improve your negotiation skills when asking for a pay rise or better working hours. It’s impossible to overstate the importance of negotiation skills, and these can also be put to good use in your personal life.
Fight for your rights
We’ve all been in a situation where we’ve felt intimidated by another person. For example; you’re in a shop and the assistant tells you that you can’t have a refund for a damaged item, only an exchange. Although you know that you have rights here, you may find yourself backing down and accepting this, as unfair as it may seem. With training, it’s more than possible to overcome this. We’re not suggesting that you will start to shout or create a scene – this is more about learning how to state your case calmly but firmly in order to gain the result that you’re after; and that you deserve.
Why Train Online?
Contrary to some people’s beliefs, being assertive is not about aggression. Instead, it’s about putting ourselves on an equal footing with those around us to avoid being taken advantage of. Online assertiveness training allows you to do just that and the benefits of an online course include:
- Training in your own time
- Learning in the comfort of your own home
- No need to interact or compete with others
- Affordable pricing
Improving our levels of assertiveness is just as important as any other life skill – in fact, more so in many respects. Learning to stand our ground in a calm but firm manner can help us to overcome a great many of life’s hurdles as well as improving our mental health.
