Communication – Asking For Help
We all having a breaking point.
Some come a lot quicker than others, and some seem to never come at all.
But at some point or another, everyone needs a break.
Just like the rate of speed in which ‘needing a break’ hits, the severity can also differ. However that doesn’t make the need any less important.
As children we grow up with very few real world issues. While there are exceptions, a lot of us grow up playing with our friends, sleeping away summers, and enjoying our childhood.
Theres no stress. There is no crazy sense that you’re not doing ‘enough’ or you’re about to miss something vital.
To a child… everyday is what it is. A cycle of fruit loops, dinosaurs, cartoons, dolls, cars, playing outside, snacks, and trying to stay up as late as possible just in case we perhaps didn’t feel like we got enough time doing any of those things.
As an adult, life takes an almost vicious turn. Work, relationships, family, life, they’re constantly pulling you in all directions. Each trying to get all of your attention, energy and resources. At the end of the day, you can almost never get to bed early enough, and almost no amount of sleep is going to prepare you for tomorrows similar onslaught.
Everyone says to make sure you’ve looking after yourself too. Which is just one more thing on your never ending list. Generally by the end of the day, the last thing left is yourself and there isn’t anything left to give so you pat yourself on the back and tell yourself ‘next time old friend’… hoping that one day you’ll actually get to that bit of self care on your list.
Looking after yourself is actually one of the most important things on your list – if not THE most important.
Lets face it… without YOU, there is no to do list. So why not start making yourself a priority? Of course, there are things on that list that have to get done – and need to get done. But applying a bit of time management, and focusing on prioritizing your tasks and realizing that some things may have to be saved for another day – is going to be key to your sanity.
Another huge factor is communication.
Communication is huge and it really doesn’t matter what industry you’re in.
Communicating is life.
Being able to verbalize your thoughts, feelings, tasks – and further more, being able to delegate if and when able, are important.
If you’re struggling, the first step to getting past the struggle is telling people that you may need help.
Needing help is by no means a weakness.
Asking for help is a strong and powerful move. Its admitting that you need someone else – and for some this can be almost impossible to do. And for this reason alone, asking for help makes you a strong person.
When others realize that you need a hand, they’re more likely to back off and rather than continuously add more to your pile, they will take on some tasks for themselves and help you out more so that everyone can get on an even playing field again.
When a member of the team is struggling, the entire team suffers.
Productivity and moral will suffer extreme drops.
If people work together and help each other out, productivity shoots back up, and everyone feels better because they’re working together and getting things accomplished.
Once you’ve acquired help, you’ve actually moved towards looking after yourself as well. Now you’re getting a little bit more breathing room. You actually feel like you’re achieving more success because you’re getting things accomplished. You’ll stress less, sleep better, and feel better.
Sometimes the healthiest and best option is acknowledging you’re drowning. Taking a step back and putting a mental pause on whatever it is you’re doing.
Breaking away until your focus is less cloudy and things can start looking optimistic again.
Having the break won’t make you seem like a weak person either. If you return to the team feeling better and more positive, you’re going to help motivate them and keep them going, or step up so that in turn one of them can catch their breath.
Constantly working together, communicating, and ensure first and foremost, your happiness and wellbeing at the end of the day are still intact – these will be the things that keep you moving towards success.
And if the clouds ever do seem to bog you down – stop and restart, and most likely you’ll find after a pause that all clouds will fade in time.
Guest Blogger Rayna Davies
Rayna Davies is a graduate and practitioner of Business Management. She has developed an expertise in blogging, covering subjects like travel, world events and security. Having grown up with a father who has developed an expertise in Physical Security and Executive Protection in the RCMP and two major corporations, she has personally observed and 
experienced many security details. These experiences have included personally meeting HM Queen Elizabeth, Prime Minister Jean Chretien and many celebrities. She presently assists Sentinel Security in Executive Protection workshops and guest blogging and also assists Gloprosec Preventative Services in Intelligence gathering and Business Administration. Her passions include World travel, having visited every continent.
