3 Ways To Support A Loved one thru a tough time

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When a friend or family member is going through a tough time with injury, illness, stress, or a difficult life circumstance, it is entirely natural to want to help them however you can. Unfortunately, in many cases, people feel somewhat powerless when they see someone they love struggling; unsure of how to offer help, or even concerned that they don’t know what kind of help might actually be suitable.

However, there are a few different ways that you can show your support and ensure that your loved one feels cared for throughout a trying time - and here are three different strategies that can help you achieve this goal.

#1 - Offer practical assistance

In the first instance, support is often best expressed through offering solid, practical assistance that can ease the burden on your loved one. This may mean doing an online grocery shop on their behalf if they are struggling for free time; helping them with attending medical appointments or helping them in their claim with their personal injury lawyers after an accident; or offering to clean their home or cook meals in order to give them the chance to rest and relax during a stressful time. Anything that helps to ease the number of tasks they need to do each day can be beneficial, so ask your loved one where they could do with a helping hand and then make arrangements to assist them as and when you can.

#2 - Provide emotional support

In addition to offering practical support, it’s also worth considering that, sometimes, people who are going through a rough patch just need to be able to talk to someone. Sharing problems and venting frustrations can provide a kind of catharsis, and often, people are not seeking direct solutions - they just want someone to listen. As a result, it’s worth simply sitting with your loved one and allowing them to say whatever they want to say, however they want to say it.

#3 - Allow and encourage distractions

When you know someone is going through a challenging time, this knowledge can become consuming - it’s all you think about when you see them, and tends to dominate your conversations. While this is understandable, and can allow you to offer both practical and emotional support, it can become overwhelming for your loved one. Even in the toughest times, people may want to distract themselves and think or talk about something else. If they begin to lead conversations away from the issues they are experiencing, then go with them and encourage them to think, talk, and focus on other things, even if they are relatively unimportant. Everyone needs a break from time to time.

In conclusion

For most people, a combination of the above three strategies works best; you can offer practical and emotional support when required but, on occasion, allow focus to turn to lighter or inconsequential subjects as the person requires. By allowing yourself to be flexible in your supportive approach, you should be able to be there for your friend or family member in whichever way they require at any given time.