Five ways anyone can help others with their mental health 

Welcome back, everyone. This week’s newsletter will cover five ways anyone can help others with their mental health. It is common knowledge that we all have bad days and need a little help from those around us to remain stable regarding our overall mental health. 

There are five simple but effective ways to be a helping hand without having any fundamental skills in mental health matters. These will be the ways I will be discussing today.

If you are interested in learning these simple but effective ways or if you would like to hang out with me for a while, then hold on as I take this next step toward becoming positively improved. 

Be willing to listen.

One of the easiest and most effective things you can do when it comes to helping out someone that seems to be in a mental health crisis of some kind is to listen. Active listening allows these individuals to know that they are not alone and to form the belief that they matter and that they are cared for.

This is powerful and can do wonders for someone in crisis. Suppose you go a step further and do your active listening without judgment. In that case, you will have a winning combination that not only profoundly helps this individual but also opens the possibility that a new or deeper relationship with this person can be made.

That is something that benefits everyone and does no harm, which from my perspective, is a winning method and one I personally use all the time with just about everyone these days.

Use Mirroring Techniques 

Another method you can try is listening. This is when you follow their lead. Meaning if they smile, you smile. If they say hi, then you say hi.

When you mirror their emotions and repeat what they have said, it signals that they are not only being understood. This will relieve the most uptight or anxious person. 

The truth about most people, whether in crisis or not, is they just want to be seen, heard, and understood. These needs are amplified when they are in a crisis. This is a method that is both easy and very effective.

Ask questions.

Asking questions is also a very natural and effective way of helping others. Asking someone questions will almost always make the other person feel important and as if they matter. Especially if others are around

Another benefit of asking questions is that you can gain clarity on the topic of the conversation, which will naturally guide you to the end result or conclusion. 

I am so amazed when someone tells me that asking or being asked a question is hard for them, but it is honestly one of the most natural things to do if you just allow your curiosity to be peaked.

Be empathic

Being empathetic is not always an easy approach, and one of the biggest keys to being empathetic is understanding how they feel or what they are going through. 

It can be challenging to empathize when you do not have this understanding or ability to know what they are feeling. Yet when you can, it helps this individual not feel so alone. If you want to know what I am talking about, think of a time when someone empathized with you. Think about their understanding of your feelings and your experience. 

When you can understand how they made you feel, you will have a much clearer idea of how your empathy also makes them feel. This is an excellent approach to helping others when you can do it effectively.  

Offer affirmation or support.

Now, offering affirmations and support is the most common way that positive-minded people will provide a helping hand. This approach requires only a second or two and a little applied intuition of the other person’s emotional or mental needs.

I really love this approach, and not only do I see other people using this approach often, but I also use it every day and most days more than once.

The wisdom you share with them through affirmations does not have to be from your personal experience ( although very helpful.) The wisdom behind the affirmation supplies support and help by offering food for thought and another and, in many cases, a more positive perspective or mindset. 

Final Thoughts:

Once again, we have come to the final Thoughts of this newsletter, and honestly, the only words I have for you are as much a service to you as it is to other people to aid any people you can when they are in distress or mental crisis.

If you find yourself in a situation where you see someone in need, you use one or all these methods to help guide them back to safety, certainty, and a stable place mentally. 

If you know someone who could use this information, please share this newsletter with them. I  hope you also found value in the knowledge that was shared. If you have any thoughts you would like to share on this topic, please share them in the comment section below. 

As always, thank you for taking this step with me toward becoming positively improved. Until next week, Namaste.