Anonymous

If you’re reading this, call your friends.

My biggest tip for coping and giving myself a boost when I’m feeling at my lowest is to call my friends and family and just listen. There are times where I’m feeling so down, that I don’t even want to talk about how I’m feeling. The thought of sharing about my own life, stressors, or feelings sounds so energy-consuming that I can’t bring myself to do it.

But, I know that talking to someone and connecting with others is so important for my mental wellbeing and to get through. I know isolating only makes me spiral more. So, a solution that has helped me tremendously over the past few semesters is to call someone and listen.

I ask them: “What’s going on in your life?” “What’s new with you?” “How’d that thing go that we talked about last time we saw each other?” Then, I listen, and give more prompts and questions when needed to have them keep talking about their life.

Just the act of listening helps me feel so much more connected to this person, and even helps distract me from my own trials and tribulations. In a way, when my own life becomes too overwhelming for me, I immerse myself in someone else’s for a bit. By the end of the phone call, the deeper connection I feel with this person, makes me feel so much more grounded. It helps me regulate and balance my emotions, even though I may not have mentioned at all how I’m doing.

This organization, IfYoureReadingThis, gets it right when it comes to promoting connected-ness and social support. It is so vital for coping with life's stressors, and what I want to share with you all today is to remember that if talking about yourself seems exhausting or daunting, you can always just listen, and that helps too.

If you’re reading this, call your friends.

Anonymous, Virginia Tech

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