How can I tell someone how I'm feeling without looking silly or weak?

Great assertiveness statements or "I statements " include expressing how you feel when a situation occurs, how you would like the situation to change, and what you will do if the Situation does not change. Here is an example: (speaking to a friend who says inappropriate things about your weight--hypothetical scenario) "I feel angry and ashamed when you say negative things about my weight. I want you to stop giving me advice about my weight or making comments unless they are positive. If you say negative things about my weight I will end the conversation immediately."

You can do it by building your self confidence and building self esteem which will help you in the way.

I can accept that being vulnerable is a beautiful part of being human and allow the other person to love me in my weakness, thus creating true intimacy. If this is too threatening, I can journal out my feelings first in order to feel more comfortable with them before I share.

You just tell how you feel. Having feelings does not make anyone weak; it makes us human, stronger. You won't sound silly; you'll sound brave.

Telling someone that you aren't feeling well is not something you should have to be ashamed of. You should not feel guilty or embarrassed to bring up your well-being.

I guess a good start would be "i'm not sure i should be telling you this, but..." That way, you let them know about your insecurity, and you diminue the chance for yourself to look weird. You also seem strong if you add something like "I don't know how this looks to you, but i really had to get it off my chest" I truly hope that i'm not wrong and this works for you, it worked for me.

If you have to worry about looking silly or weak, I have to question why you would tell an individual how you are feeling.

Being vulnerable can be difficult sometimes as it can be interpreted/confused as being weak. In fact, it is a mature thing to do, you share how you feel when you are aware of those feelings. Find someone whom you could trust, someone who has good listening skills (listening attentively with empathy and not giving advice), nonjudgmental. If you are not certain who has those qualities, you could 'test' by telling the person for some feeling that is more general and not too deep or personal and see how they react to that. For example, if you are feeling sad about family matter but this requires some trust in someone to share, you may start by mentioning "I'm feeling a bit stressful about my work/school performance these days". Stress is quite a general thing anyone could face. See the response and decide if the person can be the person you share more personal and deeper things with.

Hello, this is an amazing question and I hope I can be of help. Honesty is the best policy! No one can make you feel silly or weak unless you allow them. It is sensible and strong to express your feelings. The real power is not allowing others' opinions to impact your own opinion of yourself. Therefore, be upfront, honest, and respectful with expressing your feelings. You'd be surprised with the level of admiration you may receive in return for doing just that. So remember, you can control your own thoughts and responses and can't control others. Therefore, don't worry, and expressing yourself is therapeutic. Holding things in can generate a mix of other emotions. I hope this helps.