Stress can be an overwhelming feeling to experience. With the worldwide events of the past two years, stress has become a more familiar emotion, particularly amongst younger people. Knowing how to help someone who is suffering from stress can be difficult. We may worry about saying the wrong thing or being overbearing to that person. However, typically not doing anything at all is worse for the person suffering. This post will outline ways to help someone with stress so that if you find yourself in that position, you feel confident in what you should do.
Listen
Listening is a great tool. Your friend or loved one might just need to vent to someone and say their emotions and feelings out loud. Simply listening to them can give great comfort to the stressed person, as they know they have a comfortable and safe outlet for their thoughts. Plus, a problem shared is a problem halved. You may be able to give a different perspective to your stressed friend! When you are listening, make sure to give your undivided attention. Don’t check your phone or appear distracted.
Validate Their Emotions
Sometimes we do just need someone to listen to us. Other times, we need to feel validated. Let your friend or loved one know that what they are feeling is real, valid, and okay! This is a great way to solidify that you are a safe space for them to talk through their stressed emotions.
Offer Reassurance
Nothing lasts forever. A feeling of stress, anxiousness, or overwhelm won’t last forever. It’s reassuring to hear that from someone that cares about you! Help your loved one keep things in perspective and that while their emotions are valid, they won’t last forever. It will get better!
Help Them Understand What Makes Them Stressed
It might not be possible to avoid what makes a person stressed forever. However, while we can’t permanently avoid our triggers, we can work out methods that will help us minimize their impact. Sometimes this conversation can be difficult, as it means dealing with negative thoughts and emotions, so try and remain calm and non-judgemental. What might be upsetting for your friend or loved one might not affect you.
Offer Your Support
This support might come in several ways. It could be going for walks together to have breaks from a stressful situation. It could be helping them seek out professional help or support. It could be listening and coming to viable solutions. Occasionally, it might involve practical solutions to money or employment issues. Whatever issues you have to deal with, it’s important to remain calm - not just for your loved one, but for you, too.
Help Them Find Professional Help
This might not be entirely necessary, but if your loved one is impacted by these stressful or negative emotions daily for a seemingly long time, it might be good to talk to someone. Psychologists, for example, offer the chance for people to speak through their thoughts and feelings in a non-judgemental, safe, professional environment and seek out methods to overcome these feelings. If you need to help your loved one find someone, it’s important not to be too pushy with it - they might have negative feelings associated with the professional help of this kind.
Introduce Calming Techniques
Methods of calming someone down can come in a variety of ways. It could be that you go for a long walk and get some fresh air. Alternatively, meditation or breathing exercises will be beneficial to avoid high-stress levels. Stress is an overwhelming emotion. If you notice a friend or loved one suffering from stress or anxiety, it’s important that you approach them in a calm and non-judgemental manner. You may be their safe space to talk through any worries they have. We hope that this post has helped you consider how to help someone with stress.
