HELPFULNESS - WAYS TO FAMILY WELLNESS

FWR Says:  Helpfulness - Ways to Family Wellness

There are a number of tried and true ways we can be helpful in our family.

1. Just be with someone - that’s all - just quietly pay attention. This is particularly true when someone is suffering and we don’t know what to say. Better often to say nothing, just be there.


2. Be supportive - This overworked phrase is more said than done. Support requires listening. It requires positive feedback. Often repeating what was said works best. “I understand” hardly ever works.


3. “How are you?” - This is helpful because it gives the message we really are concerned. Inquiring questions about personal details is usually not helpful.


4. “Can I help?” - This sometimes can help but most times people just want to be heard and understood. Most folks are not looking for advice – unless they ask.


5. “I love you” is the best of all when our feeling is honest.

Our body language says even more than our words. Eye contact, polite closeness, and smiles, usually tell the real story of our interest.

These ways of helping come from the professional practices of skilled counsellors. It is vital that we don’t try to be counsellors ourselves. That is beyond our reach.

FWR Says:  Our family wellness grows when we are helpful to each other