It may feel a bit uncomfortable at first, especially if you're not used to asserting yourself.

刚开始可能会觉得有点不舒服，尤其是如果你不习惯坚持自己的话。

And unless you set some limits and assert yourself, it isn't going to get better.

除非你设置一些限制并坚持自己， 否则它不会变得更好。

To do it, you need to build up a baseline level of trust, so you can assert yourself but people know you're looking out for them too.

要做到这一点，你就需要（为自己）建立一个基本的信任水平，这样你才能坚持自己的主张，但人们知道你也在为他们着想。

It's tempting to act like the tough guy if you're afraid of losing out or aren't used to asserting yourself, but hardball tactics erode trust and don't always work.

如果你害怕失败或者不习惯坚持自己的立场，你就很容易表现得像个很难对付的人，但是强硬的策略会腐蚀信任，而且并不总是奏效。

Taking that step back and giving yourself the time to reflect on those questions helps to neutralize a negative situation and helps you identify the best language you can use to assert yourself in your response.

退一步考虑这些问题，给自己时间去思考，有助于消除消极局面，并帮助你找到在回答中可以采用的最佳语言来表达自己的看法。