Today’s coping tip is to be willing to share how you feel and ask for help when needed.
This has been something that I never did well. My parents and others I respected as a child taught me to suck it up, work through issues, be strong and independent. All good qualities, but as with anything, you can take this too far. I think far too many people of my age and older did a poor job of sharing their feelings with others. We also struggle unnecessarily by not asking for help.
I’ve learned that sharing feelings isn’t bad. I’m not less capable, nor am I less of a professional, coach, husband, father, etc. I can still be accountable for whatever and not like it or not feel good about something. I can also ask for help when needed.
I’m getting better about providing feedback to others in my life without griping or complaining, at least, I think I am. Recently I’ve pinged a few people to let them know that I do need help prepping for some work things because I’m busy, and because I need help in ensuring I have my schedule correct. With all the things I do, it’s easy to lose track of sessions, deadlines, and more.
The pandemic has taught me to better let people know how I’m doing, and if I’m overwhelmed, ask for help.
I started to add a daily coping tip to the SQL Server Central newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m adding my responses for each day here. All my coping tips are under this tag.