Ask for help
Community | 01.11.21 | By Shilo Zeller, BSc.
A quick Google search will show that “asking for help” is a concept that is pretty foreign to a lot of us. Results include things like, “4 effective ways to ask for help” and “how to ask for help”. So why is something so beneficial so hard to do? We’re hardwired to be independent and asking for help is admitting that you might need someone else to take control of a situation. Another reason? Asking for help can seem like you’re placing a burden on someone else. This feeling is only amplified when dealing with things like a pandemic and the holidays. It may feel that someone else already has enough on their plate and you’ll only be adding to it.
Here are some ways you can become more effective at asking for help:
Sit down and figure out who is on your support team. This might be family, friends, neighbours, or people that you see on a regular basis
Asking for help with smaller things (carrying groceries, updating your computer, etc) can build the confidence to ask for help when it comes to something bigger (needing a ride somewhere, moving, etc.).
Rephrase the request to make it feel more like a discussion. Instead of saying, “I need your help with _____”, consider saying, “I’m feeling with stuck with ____. Do you have any ideas or advice that could help?”
Remember that most people are willing to help and that there is happiness that comes from being able to lend a hand to someone that needs it.
And lastly? Don’t forget to pay it forward :)