Supporting our friend
Whichever stage of our lives, friendships can enrich our lives in many ways. They can provide us with the companionship and the support we need, but a healthy friendship is also a two-way street.
When our friends are going through difficult times, we can provide them with the comfort and support they need to manage life’s challenges. We can often be a key source of support, especially if we notice that they are struggling.
Read on to learn how we can better support our friends’ mental health and well-being.
Tips on supporting our friend
We are an important source of support to our friends and may have a healthy and strong relationship with them. We might also be better able to tell if they are dealing with day-to-day challenges or struggling with a larger problem.
Here are some tips on how to check in with them and provide support:
Different mental health challenges
Like all of us, our friends may experience life changes that can affect their mental health and well-being. As a friend, we can learn about some of the mental health challenges they may face so that we can better support them.
There are times when our friends may have trouble falling or staying asleep. If we notice them going through this, we can read more about sleep health and share useful tips to support them in adopting better sleep habits.
New experiences and life transitions can bring about stress. If we find our friends feeling stressed or overwhelmed, we can proactively support them.
For example, we can hear them out or invite them to do activities together to help them de-stress. You can also learn some stress management tips
here and share with them.
When things get overwhelming, it is normal to experience intense emotions. We can help our friends learn to be more aware of their emotions and better manage them.
Click
here to pick up some tips that you can share with your friends about managing emotions.
It is normal to feel sad occasionally, but if we notice our friends feeling down over an extended period, they could be suffering from depression. To better support them, we can
learn more about what they are going through and how to seek help.
Here are some tips on caring for friends with depression:
OCD is one of the top three most common mental health conditions. If our friends have OCD, they might constantly have intrusive thoughts and ritualistic behaviours that cause them distress and anxiety. To better support them, we can
learn more about what they are going through and how to seek help.
Here are some tips on caring for friends with OCD:
It is normal to feel anxious at times, but it can be concerning if our friends often feel uneasy and have trouble controlling their worries. If it comes to a point where their daily life is affected, it might be a sign of anxiety disorder. To better support them, we can
learn more about what they are going through and how to seek help.
Here are some tips on caring for friends with anxiety disorder:
Amid the hustle and bustle of daily lives, we may encounter a fair share of challenges and issues. Be it financial worries, juggling family commitments or pressure at work, these challenges can bring about strong feelings of stress, self-doubt, uncertainty, and fear. When these get too overwhelming, some might hurt or contemplate hurting themselves to seek relief.
Click
here to learn more about self-harm and suicide as well as how to help our friends cope with it.
Self-care matters
Supporting our friends while juggling life’s demands can take a toll on our physical and mental
well-being. Ultimately, the lack of self-care will make it more challenging for us to care for our friends.
Practising and prioritising self-care will allow us to recharge and put us in a better state to provide our friends with the support they need. We should not feel guilty about attending to our needs. Refer to these tips on
managing stress and
emotions to keep ourselves healthy.