How do you comfort someone who is worried about a loved one?
Lending a non-judgmental ear and being a shoulder to cry can be comforting to someone who may be feeling alone, worried, or depressed. Let that person know you are there for them and available to listen. Show empathy and avoid trying to solve the problem or offering unsolicited advice.
Ask your friend how they are and listen with your full body, and without thinking of how you'll respond. Practice being totally present. Acknowledge their feelings. Avoid pat phrases like “you'll get through this” or “you're okay.” Thank them for sharing them with you.
First, you may want to start with a simple deep breathing exercise called the 5-5-5 method. To do this, you breathe in for 5 seconds, hold your breath for 5 seconds, and then breathe out for 5 seconds. You can continue this process until your thoughts slow down or you notice some relief.
The 3 P's stand for Pervasiveness, Permanence and Personalisation. Pervasiveness looks at how much of your life a concern impacts – How big? Permanence looks at how long an issue is going to be of concern – How long? Personalisation looks at how much you feel you are to blame – How much?
This technique asks you to find five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. Using this with someone who feels anxious will help to calm them down and reduce their feelings of anxiety.
The 5Cs are competence, confidence, character, caring, and connection. The anxiety dimensions are Social anxiety, Physical symptoms, Separation anxiety, and Harm avoidance.
In a series of graphics, Earnshaw breaks down the 4 Rs: relabeling, reattributing, refocusing, and revaluing—a therapy technique developed by psychology Jeffrey Schwartz that's often used in treatment for OCD.
Fight, flight, freeze, and fawn are how our brain keeps us safe in potentially dangerous situations. Understanding the mechanisms behind these responses can help us be aware of and regulate our emotions in an appropriate and healthy way.
The 4-7-8 breathing technique involves breathing in for 4 seconds, holding the breath for 7 seconds, and exhaling for 8 seconds. People may find it helps manage anxiety. This breathing pattern aims to reduce anxiety or help people get to sleep.
Think to yourself, “Just 10 more seconds.” Take a deep breath, and make it through those next 10 seconds. If you still have more to do, repeat the process. Keep pushing yourself in micro-intervals until you reach your goals.
