Trying to manage your own thoughts, feelings, and actions is work enough. You can’t focus on yourself all the time, but trying manage how other people are in relation to you is hard work too. Here are a few simple tips for being closer to other people when you’re recovering from a mental illness.
Listen Actively
Have you ever noticed your tendency to only listen to what someone says so you can formulate a response? Or how you tune out of what someone is saying when it bores you and you find it unimportant? Stepping out of selfishness to really attend to someone when they are speaking is hard to do. Yet, as we have found through our group sessions and individual sessions with out therapists, it means the world when someone actively listens. Give that same gift to other people in your life to enhance your relationships.
Listen Reflectively
We are prewired to make our own judgments about what someone is saying. What we hear someone say might not be what they were trying to say at all. Reflective listening means taking the time to ask the person speaking if you understood what they were saying. Pause Between points in the conversation and ask them to clarify what you didn’t understand before.
Ask For Hugs
Mental Health disorders like social anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder, or obsessive compulsive disorder can be challenging when it comes to physical touch. Surviving physical abuse or having extreme anxiety about coming into physical contact with people or objects makes hugs unappealing. Various scientific research experiments have found that seven to eight hugs a day can significantly improve the wellbeing of yourself as well as those you touch. Asking for a hug can help bring you closer to someone as share the intimate bond of physical closeness.
Remove Assumptions
When we make an assumption, we blockout room for learning. Sometimes, it is easier to pretend like we know everything about people. That way, we will not be hurt when something about them surprises us or offends us in some way. Unfortunately, we make assumptions about people, we limit who they are allowed to be in our world, meaning we could miss out on something great. Make Room for people to be themselves as you would like them to do for you. You’ll give people the chance to show you who they are more authentically.
Show Up
Mental Illness can remove us from the rpe sent sometimes. In the past we’ve been known to flake, not be present, forget things we were supposed to do, or be too involved in our symptoms. One of the best ways to be closer to someone is to show them respect by continuing to show up. Through hard work in treatment or therapy, you’re learning new coping skills which help you be present in life and meet it on its own terms.
Avalon By The Sea is a certified mental health treatment center providing care for clients with a primary diagnosis of mental health disorder. If you or a loved one are struggling to cope and are in need of treatment, call us today for a confidential assessment. Recovery is possible. 1 888-958-7511.
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