Morning REVOLUTIONARIES! Today on the Mental Health Mash-Up we want to talk about clear requests-- why they're so challenging, how we can all be a little bit better at them and why they're so important to our mental health.
Clear requests are difficult for everyone but they can be especially difficult for queer folks. Is this because we're some different awkward convoluted breed of communicators?
No.
It's because a lot of us have had experiences of our requests not being appreciated, honored and, often, down right ignored and disrespected. In fact sometimes the opposite gets validated. Sometimes we ask clearly and get punished while at other times we find some alternative way of getting our needs met-- and they are. We don't think we're making too large of a projection to say this doesn't feel very good when it happens. It doesn't give us evidence that all the hard work that goes into being clear with our requests is worth it... but it is!
When we can't voice clearly what we want/need to the world around us this becomes a loop back to us. Soon we're not asking ourselves what we want/need. Soon we're not even sure how to ask ourselves what we want/need.
Is there a behavior or way of interacting that isn't functioning well in your life? Take a few moments to really sink into it-- not just the negative reactions/responses/outcomes but also the positive ones. Take your time. You might need to spend a few breaths on it, take a break and come back to it. Still unsure? Maybe check in where you feel it in your body when you think about it. Maybe think about the folks that it seems to happen with (if it's a behavior that happens with others.) Take a moment to think about what else you need in life or from those people.
This can be a long process. After all, how old are you right now? That's that many years that your clear requests could have been getting denied and your alternative ways of asking could have been getting answered. Be compassionate with yourself but know that learning how to listen, dialogue and affirm yourself is a worthy practice.
In COM|PASSionate REVOLUTION,
As always you can reach us at…
compassionaterevolt@gmail.com
www.compassionaterevolt.wordpress.com
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Skye is a youth worker, educator, activist and white transmasculine human. Traci is a therapist, yoga teacher, educator and queer vegan femme-inist of color. They reside, practice, navigate, process, survive and flourish in the Southern California area.