5 Ways To Support a Friend in Distress

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lan a big surprise, the keyword here being “offer”. Ask your friend if they would like to go out with you, and let them lead the way. You are but a mere distraction, and their support system.</p><h2 id="c564">Refrain from implicit bias.</h2><p id="e112">A lot of times as friends we run in the same circles have similar likes and dislikes; Often leading to prejudice against certain people, because that’s what friends do. Should you be aware that the cause of your friend’s anxiety is a said person or a group of people, do not indulge. As human beings, we tend to support our friends by talking crap about people they do not like. Studies have shown, that implicit bias can lead to more adverse effects on one’s mental health than good. Avoid demeaning conversations, rather make an effort to show the larger and brighter picture to your friend. Let them not keep falling down the rabbit hole, by supporting your own implicit bias.</p><h2 id="c5a4">Surprise them with an act of kindness.</h2><p id="8a0a">I have a friend who went through a really bad breakup a year ago, there wasn’t anything I could do courtesy logistics and covid. As much as I wanted to hug her, and simultaneously whack the undeserving man who broke her heart, I couldn’t do either. Instead, I decided to be there for her through my acts of kindness — a gentle reminder that I am there for her, always. It could be something as simple as sending them a box of donuts, or a copy of their favorite book. It is the intent behind this action that matters, at the end of the day all you want is that your friend has some moments of happiness in an otherwise distressing day.</p><p id="132a">Being kind, being omnipresent, being cautious, and being supportive is all that your friend needs in distressing times. Yes, sometimes they might also need 2 bottles of wine and 5 tequila shots — do not judge, just do it! <b>That is what friends are for, they’re the family that the universe conspired for us to have.</b> Sometimes, you really do need to let your actions be louder than your words. That’s all.</p><p id="95f8">Xo, Aakriti</p><blockquote id="11ef"><p>Thank you for reading my story. If you enjoyed reading my story, you can <a href="https://medium.com/@aakritihiteshi/membership">join Medium using this link</a> at a minimal cost of $5 per month, and gain unlimited access to numerous other writers!<b> I

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f you use my sign-up link, I’ll earn a minuscule commission at no extra cost to you, which would support me immensely in my writing journey.</b></p></blockquote><p id="2059">Below is a selection of my writings, which you might enjoy as well. Happy reading!</p><div id="aefc" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/10-life-lessons-i-am-carrying-forward-to-2022-and-you-should-too-a72cdf8cfc03"> <div> <div> <h2>10 Life Lessons I Am Carrying Forward to 2022, and You Should Too</h2> <div><h3>Time to let go of the “new year, new me” crap. As Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Do what you can, with what you have…</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*NNjmeWrxAsi9I2Mr)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><div id="119e" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/this-disease-makes-women-infertile-and-the-lack-of-awareness-is-shocking-a315cf772456"> <div> <div> <h2>This Disease Makes Women Infertile, and the Lack of Awareness Is Shocking</h2> <div><h3>Menstrual irregularities, dyspareunia, and chronic pelvic inflammation are just a few of the other outcomes of Genital…</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*X6FSShc3V42YVlkJ)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><div id="00ed" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/things-i-wish-i-knew-before-moving-to-another-country-df193bffd951"> <div> <div> <h2>Things I Wish I Knew Before Moving to Another Country</h2> <div><h3>It impacts your emotional, financial, social, and mental stability.</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*t3zhUQztFitwsQ3z)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div></article></body>

Sometimes, your actions can speak louder than your words.

Most human beings pretend to be happy and cheerful in a social setup, but truly you would never know the baggage the other person is carrying within. If there is one thing that this pandemic has taught us all, it is the art of empathy. People go through highs and lows in life, yet they keep working, socializing, living through it all because that is what society expects of us. So, if you see a friend being reclusive then do not probe; Rather give them time to open up to you, until then support them in all other ways possible. Here are a few things which my friends have done for me during my darkest times, and vice versa, that have helped beyond words could.

A text a day goes a long way.

Checking in doesn’t necessarily mean obsessively asking questions about what’s wrong, sometimes a simple text message saying “Hi, thinking of you. Hope you have a great day today.” goes a long way. A text does not discriminate, a text is not demanding, a text is a mere reminder that there is someone out there who is a friend, and a confidante.

Support with chores.

If you happen to live close to your friend and know they’re going through a rough time then help them out with chores that would make their life easier. It could be as easy as offering to shop their groceries, while on your own grocery run, or mowing their lawn. If it’s a work friend, maybe offer to lend a hand in their project enabling them to take an early day off. Small gestures of kindness go a long way.

Offer an escape.

Sometimes a person just needs a getaway. If you sense that your friend needs to get away from someone, or someplace, then offer them an escape. The escape could be as small as an impromptu coffee date, or as big as a weekend trip to the mountains. This does not mean that you need to go plan a big surprise, the keyword here being “offer”. Ask your friend if they would like to go out with you, and let them lead the way. You are but a mere distraction, and their support system.

Refrain from implicit bias.

A lot of times as friends we run in the same circles have similar likes and dislikes; Often leading to prejudice against certain people, because that’s what friends do. Should you be aware that the cause of your friend’s anxiety is a said person or a group of people, do not indulge. As human beings, we tend to support our friends by talking crap about people they do not like. Studies have shown, that implicit bias can lead to more adverse effects on one’s mental health than good. Avoid demeaning conversations, rather make an effort to show the larger and brighter picture to your friend. Let them not keep falling down the rabbit hole, by supporting your own implicit bias.

Surprise them with an act of kindness.

I have a friend who went through a really bad breakup a year ago, there wasn’t anything I could do courtesy logistics and covid. As much as I wanted to hug her, and simultaneously whack the undeserving man who broke her heart, I couldn’t do either. Instead, I decided to be there for her through my acts of kindness — a gentle reminder that I am there for her, always. It could be something as simple as sending them a box of donuts, or a copy of their favorite book. It is the intent behind this action that matters, at the end of the day all you want is that your friend has some moments of happiness in an otherwise distressing day.

Being kind, being omnipresent, being cautious, and being supportive is all that your friend needs in distressing times. Yes, sometimes they might also need 2 bottles of wine and 5 tequila shots — do not judge, just do it! That is what friends are for, they’re the family that the universe conspired for us to have. Sometimes, you really do need to let your actions be louder than your words. That’s all.

Xo, Aakriti

Thank you for reading my story. If you enjoyed reading my story, you can join Medium using this link at a minimal cost of $5 per month, and gain unlimited access to numerous other writers! If you use my sign-up link, I’ll earn a minuscule commission at no extra cost to you, which would support me immensely in my writing journey.

Below is a selection of my writings, which you might enjoy as well. Happy reading!