Reach out and ask for help… it’s worth it

Bridgwater Forest

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/06/2025 (340 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s OK to ask for help. And yet we often hesitate or simply just don’t do it.

If truth be told, by ‘we’ I really mean ‘me’. After all, inasmuch as experience tells me that I am not the only person who struggles to reach out – the reality is that I can speak only for myself.

So, what’s the big deal with reaching out to family, friends and/or a professional to let them know you need help? It is an excellent question and over the years, I have asked myself several times.

In my case, the answer primarily boils down to one of two scenarios, or a combination thereof. The first is that reaching out means acknowledging I am not as strong as I expect myself to be; second, it will mean I am not as strong as I believe others expect me to be. I have always considered both to be a sign of weakness, of being vulnerable.

Don’t get me wrong, I know that life experiences also play a role and they, too, must be considered but you need to start somewhere and I have found that ‘somewhere’ is often the place where there is less emotional baggage, which many of us carry.

Either way, my struggle has been real, both professionally or personally. Admittedly, on the work side of the equation, it has been somewhat easier to make the call – maybe because there’s less of an emotional investment. Also, many employers offer benefits to support the well-being of their employees’ physical and mental health. I count myself as lucky ones to be in this category and admit to having benefitted from both over the years.

What does all this mean?

Make the call. Ask for help. This is the year in which I have finally realized that being vulnerable is not a weakness, it is not something to be embarrassed about.

It is about courage. It is about standing up for oneself and seeking the help when and where needed.

We are in this life together and that is my message to myself and to whomever will listen. Family, friends, neighbours, colleagues… to borrow a saying from Nike: “Just do it.”