Are You Being Taken for Granted?

Sometimes there’s a line between being a nice person and being taken advantage of. Being taken for granted can be a very troubling situation. When you realize that people are taking advantage of you or your abilities, then it can often be a stressful realization that doesn’t bode well for your mental state. Whether it’s friends, co-workers or even family members, you’ll need to stand up to people who are taking advantage of you to live a more comfortable life. But how do you know. Can you identify if you’re being taken for granted and how you can avoid it in the future? Let’s chat.

Keep yourself in your own shoes

One of the biggest things that people take advantage of is your empathy. If you’re constantly putting yourself in another person’s shoes then it’s common to feel sympathetic towards people, especially if they’re in a bad position. This can usually happen for donations and charities where you’re told to put yourself in the shoes of the needy. Although it’s a nice gesture, there are far too many shady people out there that will take advantage of your sympathy. As a result, stop putting yourself in another person’s shoes to try and understand them especially if they have no real relationship to you. I’m not saying don’t try to help when it’s reasonable, but don’t believe every sob story you hear either.

Don’t let others overpower you

Don’t stand for people overpowering you no matter who they are. If it’s your boss, a police officer, a trusted family member or even an angry elderly person in your workplace. No matter who it is, if they’re disrespecting you or getting unreasonably angry, then you don’t need to stand for it. If it’s someone with more power than you, then there are services such as a police misconduct lawyer that can help give you the voice you need to stand up to these people that are abusing their power, respect or position to use against you. Don’t let these types take advantage of you and learn how you can stand up for yourself. Standing up for yourself doesn’t have to be mean, or rude, but you can be firm and not be wrong.

It’s fine to think about yourself

Really, it is….Every now and then, it’s important to put yourself as a priority over other people. I know if you’re a spouse and a parent, this is especially hard. This can feel greedy or selfish by some, but if you spend a lot of time interacting with others and helping people for various reasons, then it’s only natural to want to spend a bit of time on your own. Thinking about yourself and putting yourself before others isn’t selfish and is actually a fantastic way to help you cope with difficult mental issues or even just to give yourself a break from other people. We all need a bit of “me” time now and then, so it’s perfectly fine to do this however often you need to in order to cope with life. Learn to say no to others, don’t show up at events if you don’t feel like it and just enjoy your time away from social situations.

What do you do to keep a level playing field? Do you give until it hurts or do you try to keep a balance between being a good person and being a door mat? Let me know in the comments below and thanks for reading!