Newcomers' Space

Being Assertive. When we are assertive, we respect ourselves by expressing our wants and needs without crossing other people’s boundaries. It is a communication style that allows us to be respectful without being walked all over or being unkind to someone else. Here are some tips on how to be assertive:   Determine what you want. Be specific and clear about what you want. For example, if you want your roommate to do more dishes, come up with a schedule: “I would like it if you could do the dinner dishes every other day”. This shows confidence and helps avoid any confusion for the other person. Use “I” Statements. Using I statements avoids placing blame on the other person. Saying something like, “When you don’t do the dishes, I feel annoyed” is far more effective than saying, “You make me so irritated when you don’t do the dishes!”. Defensiveness is a normal response to feeling blamed, so try to not put the other person on guard. Express und...