Guide to knowing how to give emotional first aid

Situations in which people around us are having a hard time and we have a hard time knowing how to react to lend them support.

In these cases there are moments of uncertainty, in part, because we do not know if the initiatives we are undertaking to helping these people are giving results or if on the contrary they suppose an additional burden for those who are experiencing a bad moment.

Guide to knowing how to give emotional first aid

Then you can read some fundamental ideas that will help you guide your emotional support initiatives in the best possible way.

1. Ask what they want from you

When faced with a sad person, one of the first questions you should ask is: What can I do for you? It is in this moment that the emotional support really begins, rather than in the discovery of what has happened to him. Prioritize his well-being over your curiosity to know what could have happened to him.

2. Listen to what you are told

Providing support is, among other things, know how to listen and facilitate that the other can vent to

release tension. That is why you should not take such an active role as to clearly lead the relationship between you and the sad person. Support is just that: be willing to help the other person, pay attention to her needs, and do not saturate her with advice or imposed activities. Therefore, the most important thing you can do is practice active listening, that is, to speak less than the other person and to do it so that she is the one who, if she wants, can express herself.

3. Don't underestimate the silences

You don't have to feel uncomfortable if the time you spend keeping the other person company is riddled with silences: its normal. By physically accompanying this person you may already be helping them, and words are secondary usually. Also try to make the other person notice that for you there is no problem in staying for long periods without saying anything. That way you won't have to act out of compromise.

4. Crying is not bad

It seems absurd to have to say it, but it is never wrong to remember this. Nowadays crying is frowned upon, especially in the case of men, and yet it is a mechanism present in all cultures that serves to relieve tension, exhaust the organism and, in a way, relieve oneself. It is also a good time to strengthen ties through embraceSince this physical contact can make the person who is sad from that moment feel more sheltered and freer to express the thoughts and feelings that afflict them.

You can complement this point by reading the following article: "How to give bad news? 12 emotional keys "

5. Respect their privacy

Provide emotional support to someone does not mean that we are making a pact with that person according to which you offer company in exchange for revealing all the reasons for his sadness. One side of this feeling of distress is verbalizable, but there is another that inevitably remains in privacy and is subjective, or the person prefers not to reveal it. It is important to respect that.

6. Look at the important details

Someone who is going through a bad time is able to spend a lot of time pondering what is happening to them or focusing on their emotions and, therefore, is able to forget important things in their day to day. If you can, try to be there to see if this person is overlooking important things both in their day-to-day planning and in the small gestures and movements that they may make.

7. Respect their desire for solitude

There are many people who they prefer to be alone when they are sad. Therefore, do not insist on being with them whatever they say and whatever they do. By leaving them a space, you can be helping them to recover and, in any case, you can always clarify that they can count on your company at any time if at any time they feel like it.