How To Support A Friend With Their Mental Health

Imagine Chloe — your “friend”.
How can you support her with her mental health?
Here are 8 tips:

1.    Staying in regular contact with Chloe is never a bad idea, right?
So,
→    Pick up the phone
→    Send her a text (or call her)
You can’t even imagine how her mood is gonna thank you.

2.    Talking is often one of the best therapies for Chloe, right?
Especially if she thinks out loud like me.
So, if talking is one of the best therapies, what you need to do is…
…exactly, LISTENING!
Be patient and listen to her.
Listen to understand, please, not just to hear.

3.   Chloe probably has a lot on her mind, right?
So ask her:
→    “Hey Chloe, is there anything I can do to help you with tasks such as shopping, cleaning…?”
This is a special act of kindness.
And as we know, kindness boosts the mental health of both the receiver and the giver.

4.    Say this:
→    “Chloe, tell me more about your feelings. I’m here to listen.”
The key here is to get Chloe talking more about her mental health.

5.    Do you know some coping skills?
What do I mean by “coping skills?”
I mean activities like:
→    Deep breathing
→    Body Scan Meditation
→    Progressive Muscle Relaxation
If you practice them, help Chloe use them.

6.    There is a high probability that Chloe doesn’t know that:
→    Exercise boosts her mental health
→    Quality sleep boosts her mental health
→    Eating healthy boosts her mental health

So, talk to her about the power of:
→    Excercise
→    Quality Sleep
→    Eating healthy.

7.    Imagine being Chloe.
You wouldn’t want to be criticized and judged, right?

So let’s cut:
→    Critics about her mental health
→    Judgement about her mental health

8.    Respect is my core value.
Did you know that?
Well, even Chloe loves to be respected.
So, let’s respect her limits.
Don’t pressure her if she doesn’t improve in a couple of days.