{"id":116,"date":"2010-07-28T09:09:46","date_gmt":"2010-07-28T14:09:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.drilonatobin.com\/?p=116"},"modified":"2010-07-28T09:09:46","modified_gmt":"2010-07-28T14:09:46","slug":"how-to-be-assertive-without-alienating-your-partner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.drilonatobin.com\/index.php\/2010\/07\/28\/how-to-be-assertive-without-alienating-your-partner\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Be Assertive Without Alienating Your Partner"},"content":{"rendered":"

Asking for what you want\u2014and setting boundaries around what you don\u2019t want\u2014is a key life skill. But sometimes in our enthusiasm to practice this skill, we over-do our own assertiveness and end up with a partner who shuts down, gets angry or feels resentful. Here are four tips for developing your assertiveness in a way that will actually strengthen, deepen and enrich your relationship\u2014thus avoiding the \u201calienation trap.\u201d
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\nGet Clear<\/strong><\/p>\n

Being assertive starts with knowing what you are\u2014and aren\u2019t\u2014willing to be, do, or have. For many of us, coming to this knowledge is a real task unto itself. Here, it may be useful to ask: \u201cIn an ideal world, what would I like to happen?\u201d Focusing on an ideal outcome opens our minds, prevents us from falling into passivity or \u201cvictim-thinking,\u201d and helps us get really clear on what we want and don\u2019t want.<\/p>\n

Set Boundaries<\/strong><\/p>\n

Once you know what outcome you need (or want), share it with your partner. Pay attention to the way stating your boundary feels in your body. With practice, you can actually sense when you\u2019re hitting the \u201csweet spot.\u201d It can feel really pleasurable, even exhilarating, to express your needs or desires out loud. Phrases like \u201csuch and such doesn\u2019t work for me\u201d are simple ways of being assertive while maintaining connection with your partner.<\/p>\n

Make a Regular Habit of Stating Your Needs and Desires<\/strong><\/p>\n

You can build your assertiveness the same way you build any muscle: exercise. Practice speaking up about your needs, big or small, on a daily basis. When you speak up about things that are less controversial\u2014such as where to go to dinner, requesting help unloading the dishwasher or what TV program to watch\u2014both you and your partner get used to your assertiveness. It becomes easier for you to practice and for your partner to hear. Also, when bigger issues come along, you and your partner will have a healthy process in place for dealing with differences in needs, and you\u2019ll have greater confidence in the resilience of your partnership.<\/p>\n

Give as Much as You Get<\/strong><\/p>\n

Assertiveness is a two-way street. If you want your boundaries to be respected, you must return the courtesy to your partner. If she doesn\u2019t want you to use the bathroom when she\u2019s in the shower, don\u2019t. If he asks you to give him a half an hour after work before you talk and connect, respect that. When it comes to following through on a partner\u2019s reasonable request, actions really do speak louder than words. If your partner isn\u2019t respecting your boundaries even though you\u2019ve set them clearly, it may be time for professional help for you and\/or your relationship.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Asking for what you want\u2014and setting boundaries around what you don\u2019t want\u2014is a key life skill. But sometimes in our enthusiasm to practice this skill, we over-do our own assertiveness and end up with a partner who shuts down, gets angry or feels resentful. Here are four tips for developing your assertiveness in a way […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[10],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.drilonatobin.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.drilonatobin.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.drilonatobin.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.drilonatobin.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.drilonatobin.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=116"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.drilonatobin.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":118,"href":"http:\/\/www.drilonatobin.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116\/revisions\/118"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.drilonatobin.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=116"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.drilonatobin.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=116"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.drilonatobin.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=116"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}