25 Jul “You Are Ok”: How to Offer Support to Someone Struggling

It is natural to want to help whenever we see a loved one struggling. There is no clear guide on how to offer support whenever we see someone important to us having a challenging time; every person has a different way of accepting, asking, and receiving help.  

Several studies found that empathy has been at the core of offering better support to others, yielding better results for those who practice it.  

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 Empathy and Offering Support  

When you step into the role of being a supporter, you have to be more thoughtful. One of the ways of being a better supporter is through practicing empathy.  

Empathy was found to create better relationships with strangers, with researchers highlighting that it can help people to adopt a more positive attitude. In one 2024 study among nursing students, it was found that higher levels of empathy indicated increased levels of caring behavior and emotional support.  

The study findings concluded that empathy has a pivotal role in fostering compassionate care. It also further demonstrated that providing emotional support is associated with enhanced caring behavior, particularly in non-private hospital settings.  

Practicing empathy is also useful in other aspects of one’s life. It can also be used to better your relationship with family, friends, and people from your workplace.  

A 2022 study looked at the relationship between empathy styles and responsive parenting and adolescent friendship quality.  

The results of the study found that parents must first develop empathy skills including perspective-taking, empathic concern, fantasy, and personal distress.  

Meanwhile, adolescents who practice a particular empathy skill, which is personal distress, show sensitivity to the feelings and thoughts of their friends and offer responses or advice that are apt to their needs.  

In the context of the workplace, it was found in multiple studies through the years that empathy has been considered to be universally important.  

A 2020 Business Solver Executive Summary found that 83% of Gen Z employees would choose an empathetic employer over an employer offering slightly higher pay. This is compared to the 75% average employees.  

Meanwhile, it was also found that 83% of employees would leave their current organization for a similar position in a more empathetic environment.  

How to Be More Empathetic?  

Empathy can easily be learned; the more you do it, the better you become in practicing it.   

Here are some ways you can do to be more empathetic to your friends and family who are going through it:  

• Practice mindfulness to become a better listener  

• Look at nonverbal cues that can help tell you what the person is feeling  

• Ask questions instead of assuming  

• Ask for feedback and provide feedback when asked  

• Share your feelings and experiences  

• Step out of your comfort zone to acknowledge feelings you are not aware of  

When you become more empathetic, you allow yourself to be better at communicating and handling conflicts while also strengthening your relationships with other people. 

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