How to Advise Your Friends Wisely

You may want to always be there for your closest pals, but when they come to you with a problem, you may not know how to handle it or what to say. Of course, you don’t know everything, and it’s all based on a matter of opinion, but you may find pleasure in giving others the pep talk they need after a rough spell. Sometimes, all it takes to get them back on track is to simply be present and let them open up to you. You never know how much your words could help your friend find the answers to their most troubling problems.

For some guidance on how to offer helpful advice, follow the below tips on what to do:

Be an Active Listener

Ask your friend to be open with you and talk you through what’s deeply troubling them, so that you have a better scope of the overall picture. This gives you the opportunity to listen intently and sum up your thoughts on the situation. It should be your intention to listen with their best interests at heart, rather than fishing for gossip. Simply lending an ear can be a huge help to a friend, as problems can escalate in the mind when having to deal with them alone. Just being there will allow your friend to understand that they aren’t on their own and you’re there as a shoulder to cry on when they need it.

Ask Caring Questions

Only your friend can make the decision to sort out their own problem, but asking questions about how they intend to handle the situation may help them get on the right path. In doing so, you’re giving them the confidence to solve their own issue, rather than relying on you to do it for them. When it comes to failing relationships, you may not want to get too involved or meddle in their personal business, so instead of bombarding them with your opinions, start off by asking why they’re still in the relationship and go from there.

Know Your Limits

Sometimes, problems may be too big for you to deal with alone, and in this case, advising them to book in for personal counseling or see a medical professional could be an option. For example, if your friend has had a health scare and is worried that they may have contracted HIV, ask if they would be willing to consult a specialist medical professional at Chelsea Village Medical to get a guaranteed diagnosis, rather than letting them fret about it for weeks on end.

Rather than telling your friend what to do, always take a more neutral stance by offering subtle suggestions on the path to take, especially if you aren’t experienced in dealing with sensitive issues. It may mean carrying out some in-depth research on how to cope with certain subjects, as well as finding out more about an illness, so that you can be a reliable source on the next steps to take.