Today’s To-Do: Ask for What You Need
Make a Habit of Asking for Help
What do you do when faced with tough tasks or challenges? Many of us feel compelled to go it alone rather than asking for (or accepting) the help of others. We wave off the offers of assistance from compassionate friends and considerate strangers because the idea of accepting help hurts our pride or makes us feel like a burden.
But trying to bootstrap our way out of every situation isn't always the best move. And getting help shouldn't be a source of shame or other negative feelings. To get more comfortable asking for help, you could:
- Make a point of tagging in your partner or roommates for help on a household chore that would get done much faster (and with less stress) with two people pitching in 🧽
- Solicit the office PowerPoint wiz for their assistance when formatting that presentation you can’t get quite right 💻
- Partner with a friend to be accountability buddies and check in frequently to see whether either of you could use a helping hand 🤝
The Science: Research suggests that we tend to underestimate others’ willingness to help and how positively they will feel. We may also overestimate how much we will inconvenience them when we ask them to come to our aid. If this isn’t your sign to speak up and ask for assistance when you need it, we don’t know what is!
Plus, as with most habits, the more we do something, the easier it may become. Asking for help is no exception.