HOW TO BE ASSERTIVE
All of the Tools
can be used to speak your mind and to be assertive
It is easy to feel under pressure when it comes to expressing yourself. You may feel under the spotlight and may not feel confident about what
to say, especially when you may feel fearful of how it will be heard by others.
There are a few basic things, which you can do that will help you to be clear
and confident in what you are saying, even if you feel that it may be different
to the views of others.
Plan what you want to say and write it down clearly. You could also
rehearse it with a friend.
Try to stay calm even if you feel uncertain or angry.
If you think you are not being heard then calmly repeat yourself,
until you feel acknowledged
You dont have to answer questions straight away. If you feel under
pressure, say you would like time to think about it please.
You have a right to express your views and to have them respected.
You do not have to agree to any plan that you do not feel is in your best
interests. Trust yourself. You can get the best care for yourself by being:
friendly
– yet firm
assertive
- not angry
persistent
– not pushy
Be positive. Keep trying and, eventually, it will pay off.
Case study 2
Simone felt that her medication was not right for her. Although staff said they thought it was helping, she disagreed. Also she had started having headaches since starting to take it. Her psychiatrist was not willing to change it and Simone felt like no one was listening to her.
Her care manager suggested she use the toolkit to help get her views across at her next review meeting. First she used Tool 6 to plan for what she wanted to be talked about at the meeting, including her medication. Then she wrote down in detail what she wanted to say and practiced being assertive with a friend.
When the review came Simone still felt very nervous but when given the chance to speak she found that she could explain just how and why she thought her medication was not right.
Her psychiatrist was then able to see how Simone might well benefit from trying a different medication. Simone felt happier because she had been able to say what she really meant and get her treatment changed.
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