Communication Tools: Using "I- Statements" When Making Requests in Relationships

WHY USE “I-STATEMENTS” WHEN MAKING REQUESTS?

People are going to annoy you, disappoint you, and fall short. They won’t mean to, but they will. In these moments, you could stay silent and let resentment build (a lovely way to slowly deteriorate a relationship and frustrate yourself) or you could try to speak up and make a request. The issue with speaking up is that while you may have the best intentions if you communicate in a defensive non-effective manner, you will escalate a misunderstanding, hurt the people that you care about, and slowly degrade the quality of your relationships.

One great tool for taking responsibility in relationships and asking for your needs to be met (a.k.a., a request for a change in behaviour) is using an “I-statements” request.