There are often situations in which people in our environment are having a hard time and we find it difficult to know how to react in order to support them.

There are moments of uncertainty in these cases, partly because we do not know whether the initiatives we are taking to help these people are working or whether they are just another burden on those who are experiencing a bad time.

Emotional First Aid Guide

Below you will be able to read some fundamental ideas that will help you to guide your emotional support initiatives in the best possible way.

1. Ask what they want from you

In front of a sad person, one of the first questions you should ask is: what can I do for you? This is when the real emotional support starts, rather than finding out what has happened to you. Put her well-being before your curiosity to find out what could have happened to her.

2. Listen to what you are told

Providing support is, among other things, knowing how to listen and making it easier for the other to let off steam in order to release tension. That is why you should not take such an active role as to clearly lead the relationship you and the sad person have. Supporting is just that: being willing to help the other person , paying attention to their needs, and not saturating them with imposed advice or activities. Therefore, the most important thing you can do is to practice active listening , that is, to talk less than the other person and to do so so that they can express themselves if they want to.

3. Do not underestimate the silences

You don’t have to feel uncomfortable if the time you spend giving company to the other person is full of silences : it’s normal. By physically accompanying this person you may already be helping them, and words are almost always secondary . Also try to make the other person notice that it’s OK for you to stay for long periods of time without saying anything. That way you won’t have to act out of commitment.

4. Crying is not bad

It seems absurd to have to say it, but it’s never wrong to remember this. Nowadays crying is frowned upon, especially by men, and yet it is a mechanism present in all cultures that serves to discharge tension, exhaust the organism and, to a certain extent, relieve itself. It is also a good time to strengthen ties by means of a hug , since this physical contact can make the person who is sad feel more comfortable and free to express the thoughts and feelings that afflict him/her from that moment on.

You can complement this point by reading the following article: “How to give bad news? 12 emotional keys”

5. Respect their privacy

Providing emotional support to someone does not mean that we are making a pact with that person according to which you offer company in exchange for him/her revealing all the reasons for his/her sadness. One side of this feeling of grief can be verbalized, but there is another side that is inevitably left in intimacy and is subjective, or the person prefers not to reveal it. It is important to respect that.

6. Look at the important details

Someone who is going through a bad time is able to spend a lot of time thinking about what is happening to them or focusing on their emotions and, because of this, is able to forget important things about their day-to-day life . If you can, try to be there to notice if this person is overlooking important things both in their day-to-day planning and in the small gestures and movements they can make.

7. Respect their desire for solitude

There are many people who prefer to be alone when they are sad. So don’t try to be next to them no matter what they say and no matter what they do. By leaving them a space you can be helping them to recover and, in any case, you can always make it clear that they can count on your company at any time if they feel like it.