I used to have an issue with asking for help. No matter what the purpose, there was just something within me that wouldn’t let the words come out of my mouth. I could be at work, stuck on a certain project, but I wasn’t able to reach out to somebody to ask a simple question. Looking back, I was the same in school and I have been the same in many other areas of my life. Especially when it comes to mental health. Asking for help when you struggle with your mental health can sometimes seem like a momentous task. For a long time, I felt shame. I felt like I should be able to manage like other people without needing to rely on others. I know now that is fucking bullshit. In this post, I’m going to share with you why you shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help.
Sharing helps to lighten the load.
There is the old saying, ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’. It may sound cliché, but it is absolutely the truth. Sometimes just speaking to people and vocalizing your problems can make you feel so much better. From being open, people may be able to directly help, but you would never learn that unless you decided to open your mouth!
Gain different perspectives.
There have been many times when I think of a scenario in my mind. That thought will then spiral, build and I will end up in a state of panic. However, that may not be how others would perceive the same thing. Sometimes if you ask for help, you will see things with a much more level head. Gaining different perspectives is something amazing if you need to get out of your own thoughts.
Emotional support from others.
Whether the people that you are leaning on can help to share the load, they can offer emotional support. Sharing and speaking openly can allow you to speak about things in depth and get things off your chest. Something that isn’t always easy to do, but once you do it, the relief will wash over you. Finding people, you can lean on for emotional support is an amazing step and one of the main reasons why you shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help.
It helps to build relationships.
When you lean on people, you see people for who they are. It helps you to understand your relationship with that person so much deeper. There are some people that I have leaned on and their advice has been shit, but they have been that emotional network. And vice versa. It also helps you to identify the individuals that don’t have your back.
It gains you important knowledge.
When you lean on others, it not only gives you different perspectives, it improves your knowledge. The next time you are in a similar situation, you will be able to tackle it with more understanding. Use every new experience that you face as a learning curve. Take from these hard situations positives that you can use to aid your growth.
