Learn To Ask For Help

When was the last time you mustered up the courage to ask someone for help? Be honest with me, how comfortable were you when you asked for that help? If you are like me, you were not very comfortable. Take a moment to reflect on the person’s reaction after you asked them for help. Did they scorn you for not asking sooner? Say you’d figure it out like you always do? Or maybe they said no and you were left questioning why you ever asked in the first place? The harsh reality is, these reactions can and will occur when you ask others for help. However, I am here to inform you that it is okay to need assistance from others!

Have you ever asked yourself “why am I afraid to ask for help?” I have and for some reason I found that there is an unwritten rule in our society that asking for help is a deficiency or a weakness. I suffered in silence trying to do it all; in an effort to appear as though I had everything under control all the time. Until one day, I didn’t. I found myself mentally and emotionally overwhelmed to the point that I would sit in the car and cry; I literally thought I was depressed. I didn’t understand why I was having a breakdown. I allowed so much stress to infiltrate my mind that I convinced myself no one would understand what I was going through. After a while, I realized that this was an attack from the enemy. He wants us to believe we are alone and have to deal with / do things by ourselves. This is the furthest thing from the truth!

Try doing do the following and you may begin to experience maturity in your confidence to ask others for help.

Take The “S” Off Your Chest Every Now And Then

I get it; you aim to be super woman/man. If you are like many others, you are juggling a lot of things: career, school, relationships, health/ wellness etc. That’s a normal balance in today’s society; however, it is important to remember that part of being human is that we have limitations. If we were created to do everything in this world alone, Jesus would not have chosen his disciples to carry out his work. Instead of giving up in the face of frustration and telling yourself “I can’t do this,” change your thought and wording to “I can’t do this alone.” I am going to ask for help.

Utilize Your Support System

Let’s be real, we often times know that we need help, but we’re often afraid to ask for it. It’s typically rooted in pride, fear of losing control / fear of embarrassment, or some combination of the three. I am here to remind you that God places certain people in our lives for a reason. Some of the deepest relationships that you may form in life can be the of result of reaching to someone and revealing your true situation rather than trying to mask or hide it. Asking for help demonstrates trust. Don’t let pride or fear get in the way

Remember Your Priorities

The way you spend your time is a statement of what your priorities are. When was the last time you managed your list of priorities? Are you satisfied with the way you are spending your time? If not, let’s make some changes! It is important to go over your list as frequently as possible to identify the need for support. You will encounter conflicting priorities; learn who you can assign tasks to in order to keep your commitments (and sanity).

Truth Take Away

The easiest situations for me to ask for help in are emotional and mental crisis. I am not a doctor, but I am pretty certain that asking for a listening ear will reduce a person’s stress level. We must begin to create a culture where asking for help is encouraged. You can do this by making it easy to ask for and give help by setting the tone in your relationships. What are some situations you find are difficult / easy when asking for someone’s help? Share your truths with me!