Things can get overwhelming. Work, family, relationships, finances, health and countless problems mounting up. All urgent. All vying for your attention. It can feel like you’re ‘drowning with the pressures of life.
When I was a teenager, I trained to be a lifeguard, learning many ways to help people if they were drowning. I learned about how to approach a person struggling in different kinds of water, from swimming pools to rivers, seas, open lakes etc.
Whatever challenges and drowning hazards the environment created, the key principles were the same:
To get the person to a position where they could breathe again.
When I “grew up” I trained to be a holistic therapist, learning many ways to help people who “weren’t waving, but drowning”. I learnt practical approaches to support people struggling in different kinds of life situations. From feeling anxious and stressed to the deep murky waters of trauma.
Whatever challenges and “drowning hazards” my clients are facing in their personal situation, I offer them tools and techniques:
To get them to a position where they can breathe again.
And if they want to, I can teach them how to swim with the tides of life and really start to enjoy the fun that water (and life) can be.
Let’s look first at lifeguard tools for when someone is drowning.
The first thing you do is give them something they can grab hold of so that you can pull them to safety.
Throw them a rope
Get a piece of wood, a pole, your belt, something they can grab hold of so you can pull them to the shore.
Help them float
Throw them some kind of float that can keep their heads above water so you can shout instructions to get them kicking their legs and moving towards a place of safety
Or at least help them stay afloat until further assistance arrives.
Last resort
Jumping in the water should be your very last resort.
When you’ve exhausted all other possibilities.
Or they’ve passed out.
Then, and only then should you jump in to help them.
Because when you jump in the water to assist someone who is drowning, you are creating a potential situation where instead of helping them, you could drown along with them.
And two drowned people is helping no one.
So let’s relate this to a friend or colleague who is ‘drowning’ with the pressures of life.
Putting yourself in the same situation as someone who is struggling is not an effective way to help them.
Give them something they can grasp hold of and pull themselves out of the water
Sharing tips and techniques that you use, when you’re struggling. Simple things like taking a deep breath, booking a massage, talking to someone. When you share things that have worked for you, you’re not only offering information, but you’re also:
- Acknowledging them and what they’re going through right now
- Letting them know that they’re not alone
- Letting them know that it’s OK to receive help
Help them float and ride the tide of the pressures of life
What lifts you up when you feel like you’re “drowning”?
Kind words can go a long way to helping someone who is struggling. Kind actions count too. Simple things like making them a cuppa, giving practical help or taking a moment to really listen to your friend or colleague. It doesn’t have to be a huge gesture or commitment, and it could be the boost that’s required to help them rise above whatever it is that has been drowning them.
Empowering Resources
These are ways that could help them build the muscles of resilience, resourcefulness and creative thinking. Skills that may well prove invaluable the next time the pressures of life build up and metaphorically the water starts to rise around them…
The key is to start with you. Make sure that you have the inner strength, access to great resources and that you’re confidently riding the waves of life. That puts you in a great position personally to have more fun and enjoy life more and also enables you to know what to do if you see someone you care about ‘drowning’ from the pressures of life.
If you’d like to learn tools for resilience, resourcefulness and creating a fabulous life, you can click here to access daily tools by email here