Understanding Assertiveness
What it means to be assertive
People can often confuse being assertive with being over confident or even being somewhat aggressive, but this is not the case. Being assertive simply means that you are able to express yourself and make it clearly understood what you want and what your boundaries are in a confident, nonaggressive and respectful manner.
The ability to assert yourself is a useful social skill to have, as not being able to communicate your opinions, thoughts or needs can cause you problems at work, in relationships and friendships, as well as in daily life and all manner of social settings.
People who are assertive are more likely to stand up for themselves and are less likely to be the victim of bullies or suffer with stress, anxiety or depression. They are also able to take constructive or negative criticism as easily as they can
