Many people struggle with confrontation. You want to stick up for yourself, but you’re afraid of what the other person’s reaction will be. That is a natural feeling, and you don’t have to be afraid to advocate for yourself. Once you do it, you’ll feel a sense of peace. People with anxiety typically struggle with confrontation because they’re worried about how the other person will react. Though confrontation can be challenging, it’s crucial to learn how to do it. You can be honest with people when they hurt you or if something needs to be said. Here’s why confrontation is important and how it can better your life.
Confrontation can make you more confident
One of the reasons that people struggle with confrontation is that they fear how the other person will react. They’re worried that what they say will anger the other person. When you practice confronting somebody, you’ll feel more confident and grounded in yourself. You have a right to your feelings, and it doesn’t matter what the other person’s reaction is. Although, you may be surprised at their response when you stick up for yourself.
Sometimes we catastrophize or believe the worst will happen when we confront somebody. We cannot tell the future, so it’s not worth trying to predict how the other person will react. No matter what happens during the confrontation, you will be okay. Nothing catastrophic will happen. The only thing that is for sure is you’ll be able to get something you need to say off your chest. The more you practice confrontation, the better you’ll get at it, and you will become confident in yourself.
You can’t control other people’s reactions when you confront them
Some people struggle with confrontation because they want to control the other person’s reaction. They hope that the person will react a certain way and worry about being let down. We cannot control how people react when we confront them. Once you accept this, it will give you a sense of relief. The goal of confronting somebody isn’t to get a specific reaction. The objective is to be able to express your feelings and feel heard. What the other person does with these emotions is not your concern. The important thing is to stick up for yourself and set boundaries. That is a crucial part of having a conversation with somebody.
Now, remember, there’s a difference between confrontation and an argument. Confronting someone doesn’t need to be contentious. You could simply have a discussion with someone and let them know how you’re feeling. Your goal is to express how you feel so that you can stop holding it inside.
Practicing confrontation or role-play
Different exercises can help you learn to be better at confrontation. One of them is role-playing. Sometimes it helps to act things out. When you want to confront somebody, you may be nervous about what to say. You can practice role-playing the situation with a friend or loved one or in therapy. It helps to be able to get out what you think you like to say. You could write it down before role-playing, so you have some sort of a script. Once you’ve practiced what you want to say, you may feel more prepared to confront the person in question. You can talk about this with a licensed therapist to get their guidance.
Online therapy and learning about confrontation
Online therapy is a wonderful place to practice confrontation. You can talk with a licensed mental health professional online at a company like BetterHelp and figure out why you’re having trouble with the conversation. Some people don’t have any issues confronting others, while others are challenged by confrontation. However you fall in the spectrum, it can be advantageous to talk about your issues by sticking up for yourself. A licensed therapist is there to help you figure out ways to stick up for yourself and feel grounded.
Author Bio: Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health-related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with BetterHelp. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.
