We all have loved ones in our lives, and we’d all do whatever we could for them should they need our help. It’s built into our psyches to care for others. It doesn’t matter what the relation is – if we have any kind of feeling for them, then we’ll do what we can for them. Whether they’ve a physical impediment of any kind or a mental struggle like anxiety, we want to be at their beck and call.
Now, just because we want to, that doesn’t mean we’ll be any good at it! As stupid as that sounds, it’s true. Actions speak louder than words and just saying someone matters is worthless if you can’t put it into practice. If you’re in this particular position and you’re not too sure how to really give someone you love the gift of caring, then have a little read of the following pointers:
Listen
Whoever you’re dealing with, letting them speak and listening to them would do so much good. It’s not going to solve every single problem, but sometimes people just need to get things off their chest. It can open up avenues to more ways of healing, too. It’s strange that simply telling someone how you’re feeling can nearly fix you, but that’s just how our minds seem to work.
Don’t Look For Arguments
It can be very easy to argue with another person. We’re all really quite good at doing it. Even when we don’t mean to be nasty to one another, we tend to be combative in conversation every now and again. When you’re dealing with someone in a pretty low mood (or worse), then you don’t want to antagonize them in any way – even if it’s a pretty trivial topic. Don’t get annoyed by what they say; let them say what they want to say and be mature about it.
Get Professional Help Involved
Sometimes, caring for another can all get a little too much – and that’s not a problem. We’re all only human; we’re not robots. Help is absolutely at hand in a multitude of different ways, fortunately. Hiring care workers is a great idea for someone that might need significant attention. Legal professionals and advisors would be a wise addition, too, if you needed anything like elderly psychological neglect advice, or something equally as specific. Allowing them to talk to a psychiatrist would be smart, also – more and more people are opening up to mental health professionals these days.
Help Them Without Requests
They don’t need to ask for your help. Sure, they may request a few things, but simply doing stuff for them out of the kindness of your own heart would make anyone feel happy. Grocery shopping, gifts, or even actively taking steps to help them recover – these kinds of things would go down very well.
No Patronizing
This might sound obvious, but don’t make them feel in any way inferior to you or anyone else. They probably already feel pretty low themselves – if you confirm their opinion, then they’re going to feel doubly worse. Just treat them as you normally would – it’s not too hard.
Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.
