Every girl goes through it. Life spirals out of control and they decide to come to you about it. Shoot. What do you say? How the heck are you supposed to make things better? Girls sometimes have a complicated formula to complete healing. Here are some helpful tips to get a girl back on her feet.
1. Listen to listen.
Do not listen with the intentions of preparing your response. Sometimes the best thing a girl can receive is a pair of ears and a caring heart. That's all. Literally. Let her speak and don't say a word until you know she has said all that she can handle.
2. Empathize.
Actively empathize with her. An empathetic response sounds like this: “I am so sorry you are going through this. I feel so sad/mad/scared for you because you are the last person on this earth who deserves that." She doesn't want a solution. The solution is actually letting her know that you feel what she feels.
3. Always take her side.
Girls want to know that they aren't alone and that what they're feeling is what someone else has felt before. It is important to ensure her that you are always going to be there. So yeah, that means trash talking with her or crying with her or yelling with her. Anything to make sure she knows that y'all are a team. That is why she came to you in the first place, right?
4. Remind her why she is so great.
This is your moment to shine. This is the pep talk. Remind her why she is so loved. In every girl's weakest moment, half the battle is reminding her why she can handle the heat. Remind her of her confidence, strength, and ability to love others. Those words alone can take a girl from bawling her eyes out to a bashful giggle.
5. Point her to an optimistic future.
“There are far better things that lie ahead than those we leave behind." You want this girl leaving the conversation with hope for the future. Encourage her that there is always a tomorrow and that nothing lasts forever.
Shout out to my best friend, Lesley, for always knowing exactly how to cure the tears and anger with love and laughter. Twelve years and counting with you, gal pal.
