Being taken for granted is something we’ve all experienced.
It’s one of the most common interpersonal problems that people encounter nowadays. There are a number of situations that can make you feel as if you’ve been used and abused, or taken for granted. These include romantic relationships, friendships, and even work and business relations. Although such feelings are common, they can sometimes hint at a larger issue.
For some people, the feeling that they are constantly being used by others becomes a permanent state of mind. As a result, they start relationships where they are constantly being taken advantage of, no matter what they do. It becomes almost like a vicious cycle that can be incredibly difficult to escape.
If you’re trying to figure out why you always feel used, discarded, and taken for granted, here are three reasons it could be happening.
1. You Fail to Set Appropriate Boundaries
Personal boundaries are important for a healthy relationship. Having set stable boundaries means that you can teach others how to treat you, rather than letting them figure it out on their own. If you establish boundaries and learn to stand your ground, people won’t be able to take advantage of you in the first place.
You will finally be able to earn the respect you’ve always wanted. If you want to be taken seriously, make sure you let people know people know what you can put up with and what you can’t. If you find that you aren’t being taken seriously, then you need to say something so that it doesn’t happen again. Be firm when it comes to your boundaries. Yet, you should be ready to demonstrate reasonable flexibility, when the occasion demands it.
2. When in a relationship, you put in too much energy and affection
There’s nothing wrong with giving, especially when it comes to love and affection. However, if you give too much, you put others in a situation where they can easily take advantage of your selflessness, whether intentionally or not. Self-sacrifice doesn’t define your self-worth. The earlier you learn this important lesson, the better!
If you are firmly convinced that the more you give in a relationship the more highly regarded you will be, you run the risk of being taken for granted by the other person. it’s because you believe that your self-worth is defined by others’ opinion about you, and not by your personal qualities. In essence, you let people take advantage of you.
3. Reprogram your mind
If you are constantly under the impression that you are being used and abused by others, you will almost certainly find yourself in such situations. This is psychological, and it’s also a fact. People get taken for granted because they believe that they don’t deserve anything better.
You need to change the way you perceive yourself and recognize your self-worth. That way you will get the sort of treatment you’ve always wanted. Fairness isn’t something you need to work for, it’s something you already deserve to have within your relationships, that’s why it’s called fairness.