Are you one of those people who care about other a lot? Then, you must figure out how to encourage someone when they are down. It will bring a smile to their faces and boost up your confidence that you did something good. So, why not get something good in the world that is apparently so cruel and competitive?
When we say cruel and competitive, we don’t necessarily mean that everyone is terrible. But, you have to agree that everyone is thinking about themselves, and being more and more mechanical with each passing day. While technology is supposed to bring people closer, it also makes people more isolated down the line. So, let’s find out how to encourage people in 5 simple steps when they are down.
How To Encourage Someone In 5 Easy Steps?
Do you have a lot of empathy for others? Are you emotionally healthy? Do you express your love and affection openly? If your answer is YES to all these questions, that means you are an encouraging person. But, sometimes, even though we know the words of encouragement in our hearts, we can’t express those fully when someone needs to hear them. So, let’s find out how to encourage someone in 5 easy steps.
Step 1: Be A Good Listener
If you want to know how to encourage someone with depression, this is the first step to follow. Just open your minds, open your hearts, and listen to the other person talking without judgment. Just keep your moral righteousness aside for some time, and see how easy it becomes to encourage others.
But, to be a good listener, you have to build a good rapport with the other person first because only then will they open up to you. It may be so that you are finding the other person’s problem silly, but don’t let them know it yet. Even if you disagree with their decision, just be there beside them, listening to their worries, and you will figure out how to encourage someone when they need it.
Step 2: Acknowledge Their Feelings
There are several ways to encourage others, but nothing works better than acknowledging the other person’s feelings. Just try to understand what they feel and why they feel that way. If you know the root of their problem, you can find a cure even if none exists. What we mean to say is that let the other person know that their feelings are legitimate.
Don’t discern them with your quick judgment or call them a wimp for being too sensitive. Remember, everyone feels hurt by something, and those who are not so good at hiding it, need our help. So, think whatever you want to think about them for being sensitive, but just pat on their shoulders, and tell them ‘it will be okay.’ It’s a good enough way to encourage someone.
Step 3: Measure Their Seriousness
I don’t know if it happened to you, but I personally have met people who liked to think that they were depressed. Don’t get me wrong. I know depression is a severe health issue. But, if your best friend threatens to commit suicide every time she fights with her boyfriend, then they need a strong personality rather than words of encouragement.
If you want to know how to encourage someone with depression, you must know they will not complain to you to get your validation. Instead, they will share their problems because all they need to hear from you is that ‘it will be fine.’ Once you acknowledge their feelings, you can ask them how serious they are, and judging by their response; you can move on to the next step.
Step 4: Praise Their Efforts
If you have already concluded that your friend needs some severe encouragement from you, it’s time you praise their efforts no matter how small they are. One of the essential traits of how to be encouraging is to learn how to praise small wins. For example, it may happen that the person who was struggling with self-confidence yesterday did grocery shopping on his own today. You need to praise this effort if you want to know how to encourage someone.
This will have two benefits. First, you will boost the other person’s morale significantly, and you will learn to view life through a different lens. Second, you will get to know about diverse problems of people that did not matter to you so much. Being encouraging does not come expensive, so open your heart a bit more, and praise small wins.
Step 5: Share Stories Of People Undergoing Similar Kinds Of Struggle
This is the final step of how to encourage someone and the most important one. When we see someone suffering a lot, we tend to say, ‘you are not alone.’ Well, it’s time you actually mean this phrase and do something to show how much you mean it. Always share positive thoughts with the person who needs words of encouragement.
For example, if your colleague is undergoing debt and feels depressed because he can’t take care of his family. You can tell him that one of your friends was having the same problem, but he did some freelancing for a few months and got back his life on track. Even if this story is not valid, you should say it because it will let the other person feel there is a way out of his problem. So, just be encouraging, and spread happiness in the world.
Final Thoughts
We have shared five easy steps with you in this article on how to encourage someone. You can bet that following these steps will encourage people in any situation, no matter how grave it is. You may apparently think that problems don’t just disappear no matter how many encouraging words you say. It’s true, but it’s also true that listening to those words of encouragement gives us the courage to fight back. If you have any more questions, you can ping us in the comment box.
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