Talking. Who has the time? The annoying thing is though, it is often pretty much the best thing you can do when you are going through something. However, it can be a bit difficult to tell if you should, right? We all can feel guilty about talking about our shit when everyone else seems to have a bunch of stuff going on as well.
The fact remains though, whether it’s a mate, a parent, teacher, colleague, or even just your dog for now (we all have to start somewhere), talking to someone about what you’re dealing with is the first step to getting back to being your brilliant bright best version of yourself.
1) It will make you feel lighter
You’ve probably heard that saying from your Nan or someone that a problem shared is a problem halved. Well we don’t know the maths, but it will almost definitely make the problem feel less intense. Having someone as a sounding board for what’s going on, even if they can’t offer any help, will make it feel less lonely and more like you can tackle whatever is going on with more energy.
2) It can reduce stress
Having a moment to let some stuff off your chest can really help ease your stress levels, especially when they are related to the situation. Even if what you are talking about isn’t the main source of the stress in your life, letting off a bit of steam here and there is a good stepping stone towards reducing your stress. For more on how to tackle stress, check out our ultimate guide here.
3) It can make you feel closer to that person
Sharing something that’s pretty intense with someone else is probably the quickest way to feel closer to them. It can make you feel like you have someone on your side and who you can go to with stuff, and they will probably feel the same way too. Just make sure you can trust them it before you go to them.
4) They might be able to get you help elsewhere
So the person you go to might not be able to completely fix the problem. That doesn’t mean they can’t help a little, or help you get help elsewhere. This doesn’t mean they are gonna drag you to the doctor or a counsellor (although they might suggest it if it’s the best option for you), it can also mean you have a bit of back up when you go to your family, teacher, friend, or source of the problem. Sometimes, someone to just sit there and hold your hand is literally the best solution.
5) It can make other parts of your life easier
Sometimes, reaching out to someone might make the rest of your life a little easier to deal with when you are going through something. Like, maybe you have a lot going on with the family and too much work to do for school or college. Going to a trusted teacher about what’s going on with you might mean they can help lighten your workload in places, offer extensions and generally make it a bit easier to deal when you have a ton of other shit going on.
6) It can give you a bit of perspective
When you are handling a situation on your own, it can feel way worse than it actually is. Especially because when something goes wrong in our lives, we are all chronic overthinkers! Having a chat with someone outside of the situation can give you an objective opinion on it, and maybe help you see that it isn’t the end of the world.
7) They might be able to fix it
If what is going on with you is directly related to another person, maybe you’ve fallen out with a friend or your Mum is stressing you out, going to them to have a straight forward calm conversation might actually remove the problem from your life altogether. Choose a place where you both will feel comfortable and let them know that you need some help with this, and explain how the situation is making you feel.
If you don’t feel like you have anyone to talk to right now, you can reach out to the Ditch the Label Community here and we will listen.
