Strategies to apply if you are afraid to express yourself
I saw a counsellor because I was having trouble controlling my anger and crying. He told me that I was holding back a lot of feelings and thoughts that I hadn't been able to express.
Some people are afraid to say what they think because they don't want to hurt, worry, or fail someone else, or they are worried about what other people will think of them.
In fact, not being able to say what we want to say causes stress and anxiety in many parts of our lives, which can change into other issues. In this way, it keeps us from feeling good.
We came into this world to learn about it, to be honest and open with ourselves, and to share our own special ideas and thoughts.
Remember that everyone has a right to their own opinion, and that expressing it can help people have helpful talks and grow as people.
Thinking about why you're hesitant can help you feel more confident in your own point of view and more at ease when sharing your thoughts.
You have a lot on your mind, even though you don't want to say it. When you hear someone else's opinion on any subject, you might feel weird or think something different.
When you feel this way, do you ever keep quiet? Why don't you say what you think? What's scaring you?
For me, even though I don't say anything, I talk to myself later. My thoughts, feelings, and ideas live on, even though I haven't said them!
But I didn't learn to trust myself and my words when I was a child.
Before anything else, I learned that people in power are always right. This includes parents, teachers, and bosses. Over time, these stronger people stopped me from speaking my mind, and I didn't even know it.
I don't know how many times I felt left out, embarrassed, scolded, scared, or otherwise badly treated when I said what I thought.
In the end, I learned to keep quiet or control myself. In order to keep myself safe, I made it a habit to keep quiet and limit my own presence.
I didn't realise until I was an adult that this was lying to myself and not caring about myself. Why do people pause to say what they want to say?
Have you ever thought about why some people are scared to say what they think in public? There are many things that could be affecting your reluctance to share your opinion, whether you are aware of it or not.
You might be doing this because you don't trust your own thoughts, you're afraid of what other people will think, or you want to avoid arguments.