If your friend is going through tough times, you may not be aware of how bad things are for them, especially if they feel they have nobody to talk to. That isn’t what friendship is about, though, and everyone should feel confident being able to speak to their friends. Still, sometimes, they don’t like to bother others. They think that their problems aren’t worth talking about or burdening others with. This shouldn’t be the case, and so it may fall to you to be the first one to offer that support. If you are unsure of how to do this, here are three ways to support your friends.
Lend a Compassionate Ear
Listening is an underrated way of helping your friends cope with their problems. Too many people try to find solutions when all that’s needed is someone to listen to them rant.
Understanding this is one of the first steps to being more supportive as a friend. It allows them to talk about how they feel and what has happened without judgment or interruption, and the mere act of you being there and listening is usually enough to make them feel better.
We all need the chance to rant and rave at some point, so let people do that. It’s cathartic and can often help them find the answer all by themselves.
Encourage Them to Find Solutions
You shouldn’t tell them what to do, but instead, encourage them towards potential solutions for their problems. This is the same whether it’s therapy for mental health issues or Advanced Fertility for couples struggling to conceive.
People often want to feel like they have found the answer themselves, so by gently suggesting options, rather than making them definitive solutions, will make them feel like they are coping better and are dealing with the issues better.
While not everything will work for them, it’s always worth trying out a range of options, because even the most unexpected possibilities could be the right one.
Wait For Them to Ask For Help
If you’ve noticed a friend not acting like themselves recently, it’s tempting to confront them and ask what is going on. However, this can often have the opposite effect of what was intended. Rather than open up to you, they may pretend that everything is okay and close up.
This isn’t good for anybody, but you cannot force someone to share their feelings. Instead, wait for them to come to you, by helping them feel like you are someone theft can speak to.
When this happens, be supportive and don’t share it with others. They have trusted you with their problems for a reason, and you do not want to break that trust by telling everyone else about it.
Being There
Often, you don’t even need to say anything. As long as your friends know that you are there for them, they can feel confident that they will overcome any problems that life throws at them. By supporting them no matter what, you can be the friend that they deserve and help them conquer all problems with ease.
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