What Is Assertiveness Worksheet Template (Page 6 of 9) in pdf

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the physical stress in our bodies. Module 5 in these assertiveness modules is called

“Reducing physical tension” and will introduce some exercises to lower the physical tension

in your body.

If you tend to worry a lot you can tackle this with the modules on worry and anxiety

(“What? Me worry!?”) on the website. If you have anxiety that is extreme enough to result

in panic attacks please look at our modules on panic (“Panic Stations”).

Situation Evaluation: It may be that we can’t really tell which behaviours to use in which

situations. There are three main mistakes people can make with evaluating situations. We

might mistake firm assertion for aggression; we might mistake nonassertion for politeness;

or we might mistake nonassertion for being helpful. You will learn some techniques for

dealing with these mistakes in Module 3 “Thinking in a more assertive way”.

Cultural and Generational Influences: There can also be strong cultural and

generational influences on our behaviour. For example, in some cultures assertiveness is not

as valued as in Western society. If you are from one of these cultures it is important to

weight up the pros and cons about being assertive in particular situations. You may find that

the pros of living by your cultural values outweigh the pros of being assertive. Older

generations may also find it difficult to be assertive. Men were once taught that it was weak

to express their emotions and women were taught that it was aggressive to state their

needs or opinions. Lifelong beliefs such as these can be difficult to change but they can

change!

How assertive are you?

It can be difficult to know how assertive we are. In some situations we may feel very capable

of being assertive but in other situations we may find ourselves not really expressing how

we felt or thought, and feeling upset or frustrated with ourselves. This next exercise can

help you determine how assertive you are and help you work out in which situations you

would like to be more assertive. Down the left side we have a list of different situations that

require assertiveness. Across the top are different groups of people. You work across cell

by cell and rate each combination of situations and groups of people. For example, someone

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Module 1: What is Assertiveness

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nterventions

• Psychotherapy • Research • Training

What Is Assertiveness Worksheet Template Page 6