Conveying your feelings to others is not easy. The situation will be even more difficult for those of you who are overly shy or prefer to avoid confrontation. As a result, you are also likely to miss the opportunity to share your opinion or views that you believe in with others! Even if the situation feels intimidating, learn to be more assertive in every discussion process so that your quality of life can change for the better. Plus, doing so will boost your confidence, make your opinion sound more convincing to other people, and encourage them to take it more seriously. In order to speak your mind more freely, you first need to change your behavior and believe that your voice deserves to be heard by others!
Step
Part 1 of 3: Learn to Voice Your Mind
Step 1. Try to stay calm and in control
Before you start talking, try to calm yourself down and let go of the nervousness that is haunting you. Slowly, inhale deeply for a count of ten. As you breathe, relax your body and mind, and get rid of all doubts and negative thoughts that arise. It's natural to feel overwhelmed when all the attention is on you. That is why, it takes self-control and good emotional stability so that the conversation can continue well.
Resist anger or euphoria if the topic is starting to frustrate or excite you. Uncontrolled emotions will only make it more difficult for you to voice your opinion
Step 2. Learn to open up to people you feel comfortable with
At the beginning of the process, try to increase the frequency of speaking in front of the people closest to you first. Over time, as you get used to speaking out, try to gradually step out of your comfort zone until you are no longer afraid to speak up. Most people find it easier to express themselves in front of those closest to them instead of strangers who risk judging them.
- Learn to voice your opinion in light-hearted conversations beforehand so you don't feel overwhelmed. For example, share your thoughts on daily activities, such as, “This dinner is delicious, Mom” or “I don't like this show. Can't we just watch another show?" Don't worry, that kind of talk has very little chance of being colored by debate.
- Communicating with those closest to you can help you to silence the desire to criticize yourself and focus more on the content of the message you want to convey.
Step 3. Use an assertive tone of voice
Express your opinion in a loud, clear, and straightforward voice. Take as much time as possible to tidy up your thoughts first. When you feel ready, voice your opinion in a clear, mutter-free voice, and speak at a slow pace. Do you know why quiet people are often not heard by others when they finally speak? The answer, not because their voices are too low, but because their quiet demeanor signals to others that their voices are not worthy of being heard.
- Trust me, a loud, firm voice will have a greater chance of being heard and taken seriously by others.
- Be assertive, not too loud or domineering when communicating. Know the difference between the three so that the other person or listener does not feel alienated.
Step 4. Boost your confidence
The most important factor you must have is self-confidence. Without self-confidence, surely all your words will have no weight and/or impact on others. Therefore, always remember that you are a unique individual and have different thoughts, principles and values in life from others. Trust me, a sentence that is delivered without confidence will be of no use to anyone who hears it.
- If you need to "fake confidence" before you actually have it, do it! Pretend to be comfortable when you have to share your opinion with others. As a result, sooner or later you will get used to it!
- Learn how to communicate that can show your confidence. In other words, look the other person in the eye and use active and meaningful diction. Avoid mumbling or unimportant phrases like “mm,” “like,” and “you know, right?” so that the impact of your sentence on the other person is not weakened.
Part 2 of 3: Overcoming the Fear of Being Confronted and Mocked
Step 1. Don't worry about what other people think
Forget about pleasing other people! Remember, the fear of being judged should not stop you from speaking out for what you think is right around the world! While not everyone will agree, don't let that fact keep you from doing the right thing.
Think of the worst that could happen if you dared to speak up. After successfully identifying the reasons that are preventing you from speaking up, it will help you to slowly get rid of those reasons
Step 2. Trust your words
Hold fast to the validity of your opinion. Don't expect others to believe your words if you doubt them to be true yourself. Even if you and the people around you don't share the same view on an issue, the most important thing you need to do is assert your position in front of others. In other words, don't let the fear of what others think get in the way of your will to stand up for the truth!
- Trust your opinion. Gathering the courage to say, "You're really selfish, really," or "I think you're wrong," is not as easy as turning the palm of the hand. However, if your instinctive urge to voice an opinion on a particular issue is very strong, it most likely means that the issue is indeed very important. for you.
- Don't be shy about voicing your opinion, but don't force others to agree.
Step 3. Don't hesitate
If the opportunity to speak out arises, don't hesitate to take it! To do this, try to dive into the discussions going on around you, and wait for the right time to voice your opinion. Trust me, your voice will surely be heard with pleasure by others. After that, they may feel more confident to ask your opinion more often. Many people hold back their opinions because they don't want to be the center of attention or because they're afraid their words will sound stupid. If a similar thought comes to your mind, always remember that the opportunity to speak may not come again anytime soon!
- Making assertive statements and asking solid questions will show your initiative. A simple question, “Sorry, I don't understand what your last sentence means. Can you explain more, can't you?" also shows your willingness to be involved and equalize the weight of the discussion.
- Don't take too long to muster up the courage if you don't want other people to voice your opinion first.
Step 4. Assume that others will agree with your opinion
In other words, stop thinking "No one wants to know what I think." Remember, your opinion is just as important as anyone else's. In fact, your opinion may even be in line with the opinion of the majority of people who are also too afraid to voice it. After all, the existence of these negative emotions will only become more evident if you constantly feel like you are going to be laughed at or rejected.
Believe me, other people will be motivated to voice their beliefs with more confidence after seeing your beliefs and willingness to speak your mind
Part 3 of 3: Knowing the Right Time to Speak
Step 1. Contribute to a useful discussion
If you can participate in a conversation, feel free to do so. Remember, a healthy exchange of ideas is the perfect tool for improving your understanding of others. In the process of exchanging ideas, all parties involved have the opportunity to share their opinions, as well as learn new, deep, and full of emotions from the interlocutor.
- Deal with stubborn-sounding comments or arguments with phrases like, “I think…” or “I believe…”
- Be careful when voicing your opinion on political, religious, and ethical issues, especially since these are sensitive issues and prone to conflict.
Step 2. Get involved in the decision-making process
Try to be active in planning or making decisions. In other words, don't hesitate to explain what you mean and confirm your preferences. If that opinion is never voiced, it means that you must be willing to accept whatever decision is made, even if the repercussions may be detrimental to you.
- An act as simple as giving an idea of a restaurant that you can go to for lunch will actually make you more daring to speak up later on.
- If you're worried about rejection, try voicing your ideas as if you were having a discussion. For example, try saying, "Maybe not, we could do a better job if…" or "How about we watch a movie at my house instead of going to the cinema?"
Step 3. Don't let your silence be misunderstood by the other person as a form of approval
Failure to speak can actually be interpreted as a permissive attitude. Therefore, do not be silent if there is something you want to oppose. Voice your disapproval of an issue, behavior, or opinion firmly! Otherwise, the other person will blame you as if you created the situation.
- A glance, no matter how sharp it may be, won't have the same effect as directly asking, "Why do you feel it's okay to act like that?"
- Remember, you can't change anything if you don't know what went wrong.
Step 4. Continue to communicate in a polite and dignified manner
In other words, keep the communication process calm and controlled, and be willing to listen to the other person, especially if the discussion starts to turn into an argument. Do your best to be a positive example by keeping an open mind and respecting the person you are talking to throughout the conversation. In fact, humans not only need to learn to voice their opinions with confidence, but also have to know when to hold opinions or resist the temptation to voice their thoughts.
- Avoid the temptation to ridicule the other person when the argument starts to heat up. Instead, use a more positive but similarly meaningful diction like, "I'm sorry, but I don't agree." Believe me, the other person will find it easier to listen and take the words spoken in a calm and controlled manner.
- Think twice before uttering a sentence that could potentially offend or be misunderstood by others.
Tips
- Don't mince words. State what you mean honestly and make sense of it.
- Focus on getting the message across clearly, whatever the content. Don't give your listeners a chance to guess what you're saying.
- Gathering the courage to voice an opinion is not as easy as turning the palm of the hand, you know. For many people, building the confidence to speak their minds is a lifelong lesson. That's why, there's no need to worry if you can't master these abilities overnight. Gradually, try to get more comfortable with voicing your opinion until the activity no longer feels like a burden to you.
- Learn to be a good listener to hone your communication skills. Remember, listening to other people's opinions is equally important because communication is a two-way process.
- Limit the use of swearing and profanity or don't say it at all! You will also find it difficult to take the other person seriously who constantly uses offensive language, right?
Warning
- Try not to dominate the conversation. In other words, give all parties equal opportunity to speak.
- Think carefully about what can and cannot be said. Don't let your mouth get into trouble!
