Articles about Assertiveness
13 free articles, newest first. Every one is a few minutes long, written in plain language, and open to everyone with no account.
Being the Sober One at the Party
One short sentence, repeated. Why holding a glass matters, how to handle the people who push, and why the evening gets harder after eleven whatever you are drinking.
Asking for More Money at Work
You know you are underpaid and the thought of raising it makes you feel sick. How to prepare, what to actually say, and how to handle a no without it becoming a verdict…
Ordering Something Different From Everyone Else
Saying no to the wine, the shared platter or the dessert can feel like making a scene. How to ask for what you actually need at the table without a speech or an apology.
Saying You Are Angry Before You Are Furious
You say nothing at two out of ten, nothing at five, and then everything at nine. How to raise an annoyance while it is still small enough to be heard.
When Your Job Quietly Doubled
Someone left, nobody replaced them, and their work landed on you. How to tell what your job actually is now, and how to hand some of it back without a confrontation.
Asking Someone to Stop Giving You Advice
Unasked-for suggestions from a parent, a friend or a colleague, over and over. Why the advice keeps coming, how to ask for it to stop without a row, and what to do when…
Asking for Something Clearly
Hinting, over-explaining and hoping they offer all fail. A plain structure for asking someone for what you want, and what to do with the answer.
How to Complain and Actually Get It Fixed
The broken heating, the wrong charge, the thing that was promised and never arrived. How to complain in a way that works, without rehearsing it for three weeks first.
Saying You Cannot Afford It
The group trip, the dinner, the gift, the wedding. How to say no to something you cannot pay for without over-explaining, apologizing, or quietly putting it on a card.
Speaking Up at the Doctor's Office
Most people leave an appointment with the question they came in with still unasked. Here is how to prepare, how to say the hard part early, and what to do when you feel…
Asking for Help Without Feeling Like a Burden
You would drop everything for them and you cannot bring yourself to ask for a ride. Where that asymmetry comes from, why people usually want to help, and how to actually…
How to Stop Overexplaining Yourself
You say no, then add three reasons, an apology, and an offer to make it up to them. Why some of us cannot let a simple answer stand, and how to say what you mean and…
How to Say No at Work Without Burning a Bridge
Saying yes to everything at work feels safe until you are drowning. A way to decline that protects your time and your reputation, with words you can actually use.