Manage Holiday Stress: Ask For Help
There are a lot of things to do during the holidays. From gatherings, to events, to decorating and other responsibilities- the holidays can become so busy and hectic, especially if you try to do everything by yourself.
In most cases, you don’t have to go it alone. You can ask for help as a means of eliminating stress and preserving your mental, emotional, and physical help. There are some steps you can take to help yourself when asking for help from others.
1- Understand You’re Worthy
Too often people struggle with feeling like they don’t deserve the help they so desperately need. The first step to begin asking for help is to know that it is okay to ask for help. Receiving help does not make you weak or lesser than. It simply makes you human. Once you realize that all people need help from time to time, you can be more open to accepting help when you need it.
2- Clarify What You Need
A key to asking for help is to understand exactly what it is you need. You cannot begin to advocate for what will help you if you are not clear about the help that you need. This might take some time and reflection so that you can accurately identify these things, and then communicate them clearly. This means outlining what kind of help you need and how those that you’re asking can go about providing it, so there is no confusion when you go to communicate it.
3- Ask Clearly and Kindly
The next step in asking for help is to ask in a way that is most likely to get your needs met and wishes respected. The first thing involves being clear. It is hard for people to give you what you need when they don’t actually understand what you need. Being sure to be direct and clear helps you get what you need. Also, being kind is essential to communicating what you need and getting help. When you are kind in asking people are more willing to offer you assistance.
4- Ask the Right Person
It is also very important to ensure you are asking the right source for help. If you’re going to someone who does not have the ability to meet your needs then asking them won’t really serve a purpose. When you go to the right source who has the resources and ability to help you, it increases the likelihood of getting the help you need.
5- Accept the Help You Need
It doesn’t matter who is available to help you if you are not willing to accept the help. You must get to a place, no matter how hard it might be. There are people who want to help, you just have to set aside fear and pride to be able to receive it.
Final Thoughts
Asking for help is an essential part of making the holidays run smoothly. When you are able to release fear and pride and ask for help, you can make life during the holidays more enjoyable.
It is also important to note that when you ask for and get help it allows you to remain centered and prevents the exhaustion that is typically seen during holiday planning and execution.
This means that you actually get to enjoy the holidays much more. Think back to other years when you were so exhausted by the time the festivities started that you could not even enjoy them, wouldn’t it be nice to prevent that from happening this year?
Tips such as assessing your needs, asking clearly and kindly, asking the right source, and actually accepting the help can free you from the burden of doing things alone and free you to accept the pleasure of shared responsibility among community.