Early in my career, asking for help would have meant showing vulnerability, that I would be judged and others would think that I am not competent or resilient enough. So, I didn’t. And like many people who struggle to ask for help, I ended up stressed, burnout out, resulting in poor sleep and impacting on my mental and physical health.
With age does come some wisdom😊 and slowly got better at this and at being emotionally agile, which I intentionally worked on during the pandemic.
According to Susan David, emotional agility, is the ability to navigate life’s challenges and setbacks with self-acceptance, clear-sightedness, and an open mind.
If you or someone you know is struggling to ask for help, here are some tips:
🤔 Acknowledge your emotions: Recognise and accept the emotions you’re feeling about asking for help. It’s normal to feel vulnerable, but acknowledging these feelings can help you move past them.
🚫🎯 Challenge perfectionism: It is okay not to have all the answers and to make mistakes. Perfectionism can hinder asking for help. Focus on progress rather than perfection.
❤️Be self-compassionate: Treat yourself with kindness and understanding, like you would a good friend in a similar situation.
💪 Reframe asking for help: Instead of seeing asking for help as a sign of weakness, view it as a strength. It takes courage to admit when you need assistance, and doing so can lead to personal and professional growth.
🤝 Build a supportive network: Surround yourself with people who uplift and support you. Having a strong support network can make it easier to ask for help when needed.
🧘 Practice emotional agility: Develop the ability to be flexible with your thoughts and feelings. Being emotionally agile means, you can adapt to challenging situations and make choices aligned with your values, even when it’s difficult.
When was the last time you asked for help or helped someone?
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