After such an intense and chaotic year, it can sometimes be a good idea to figure out how to defend yourself, and how to stand up for who you are. News headlines have brought us shocking stories that have been a shameful reality for many, that discrimination is rife in the modern world and we need steps to counter it. That being said, it’s also true that the need to defend yourself can be less of a macro issue, and more of an individual, subtle problem.

For instance, it might be that despite a fall at work due to negligent behavior on the part of management, you’re not being given the care you’re due. This is where a personal injury lawyer could be there to help you apply your essential rights in a positive direction. That being said, there are many social situations, relationship difficulties and pressures we can find ourselves bending to from time to time, when we could have felt better about making our needs known. You don’t have to chase conflict all the time – but here are three good ways of standing up for yourself in the modern climate:

Knowing Your Rights

It’s important to know your rights in any given situation. For instance, learning your worker’s rights can help you defend them more appropriately when employed. This can prevent your employers from mistreating or exploiting you, it can help you demand a certain standard, and, if these are not met, you may be able to litigate. Strict laws against discrimination, for example, operate to help make the workplace more fair. Knowing this helps you express your concerns.

Staying Unapologetic

Never believe that you’re ‘acting out’ or are ‘being hard to deal with’ for demanding a basic level of respect, and for your rights to be attended to. Too often we can bend over backwards and feel that this is only afforded to us if we ‘deserve it,’ in the minds of another. That’s not true. You always deserve it. This can help you avoid issues from getting out of hand. If someone speaks to you terribly, for example, accepting this only allows that treatment to continue. It can be hard, but don’t feel as though you need to play nice to get what you need. You only need to play fair.

Don’t Be So Agreeable

The agreeable personality trait is a natural disposition for conflict-solvers and people-pleasers to fall into. People predisposed this way may find it hard to negotiate a raise at work, or to tell their neighbor to turn their television volume down. Being conflict-averse can be good when looking for another solution, but sometimes, healthy conflict is necessary and good. Training yourself not to be so agreeable, but rather a fair listener helps empower your decisions rather than making the choice for you to begin with. That’s a great lesson to learn.

With this advice, we hope you can learn to properly stand up for yourself.

This is a contributed post.

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