How To Make Others Relax
A natural reaction when you see someone suffering from a lot of stress is of course to help him solve the problem and care for him until bad times are gone for good. The trouble is that all too often we don’t really help – quite the contrary.
Always remember that helping stress-affected people is not some short-time contract. You will have to meet them, talk to them and go out with them for weeks or even months. A single heart-to-heart talk is not enough – only long-term stable relationship is able to give stressed people what they really need – safety and company.
Another thing you have to do is making sure that the stressed out person has something to do (other than worrying). Inviting for a dinner, playing console games or even MMORPG may take one’s attention from problems and let them relax a bit. Remember also that the more stressed out person moves, the better.
Help your stress-affected friends when only you are asked for – and sometimes even without being asked. The major problem of long-term stress is that it reduces the ability to find solutions to the problems, even those that are easily solved by others. This is a temporary things, born from weariness and depression, but it means that those people do need your help. You have to be prepared to give them a hand anytime they ask for it and in many situations when they do not ask.
The most important thing however, is noticing that stress-induced problems are coming. All too often friends may not even notice that something is going terribly wrong with the person until it is far too late. Look for such signs as: lack of appetite, long periods of loneliness, bursts of anger toward others, especially family or loved ones, change in appearance and sings of weariness. If you keep noticing them for a week or two in a row, it is time for you to react and help. Otherwise your friend may soon be in real trouble.
Your main role is not one of psychotherapist. Your job is not solving other people’s problems. Your job is being close to them and support them. This is the best thing you can do to help others get rid of their stress-induced problems.
About the Author: John Andrews writes about stress, stress relief and how to combat stress. For more information on Relagen and Natural Stress Relief , just click on the links.
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