Families can cause a lot of stress and may not be the right place to find someone to talk to about your problem. Even if they are understanding, you may still not want to talk to them about what is troubling you. You can always talk to a teacher, mental health professional or a friend.
To figure out who you can talk to in your family about an issue, ask: Will they give me a hard time? Will they make me more upset? Can they offer me the help I need? Will our talk be kept secret? If I tell them something personal, will they think differently of me?
It is natural to feel like you don’t want to let your family down with your personal problems but remember in most families, they only care about you. Sometimes a family member that is not in your immediate family like an uncle, cousin and grandparent might be the right person to talk to.
There might be several members of your family that you can talk to. Some families have “family meetings” to go over problems or big decisions. Talking to an older family member can be good because they may have had a similar problem or concern in the past.
Gaining perspective in your life is an important exercise that you must purposefully develop. By experiencing other peoples’ perspectives, speaking with older relatives and volunteering, you can start to get a more rounded view of the world in which you live.
Volunteering is unique in that it gives you a very pure opportunity to connect with people that you may never have met otherwise. You can learn about yourself through relationships you never would have forged if you hadn’t volunteered your time. “Giving back” reaps perspective.
There are countless people all over the world who are in need of assistance, and volunteering your time and energy enables you to perform a selfless act that simply helps others. Becoming a volunteer is a wonderful way to gain perspective in your own life.
Members of a family generally look out for each other and have each other’s best interests in mind. You may sometimes feel like your family might ask you questions about your problem that you don’t want to answer, but remember that they are doing it because they care.
Sometimes when you go through a tough time, you may need someone to talk to. Talking to someone who is willing to listen really makes a difference and sometimes the best people to talk to may be your own family.
When someone is sharing a problem, give encouragement. Offer to help if possible. Show the kindness and compassion you would hope to receive from someone else when in a similar situation.
