How to Politely Tell Someone You’re Not Okay

Everybody has their ups and downs. When you’re in the middle of a ‘down’ period, it’s healthy to alert the people that you trust in order to create a support network. However, telling someone that you’re going through a rough patch can often seem incredibly daunting and awkward. Short of meticulously spelling ‘things are getting tough, I need some extra TLC’ in somebody’s alphabet soup, what’s a casual way to let someone know that you’re not doing so well? Here are some suggestions to make the ‘heads up, I need some help’ a little more casual, without losing any meaning. 

(Please keep in mind, if you are in crisis, please contact a crisis center or hotline immediately.)

Shoot Them a Text.

Sometimes the obvious choice is the obvious choice because it’s the best. A text is quick to bang out, but can also provide you some time to compose your message so it says what you actually mean. Additionally, texting gets rid of the potential awkwardness of face-to-face breakdowns.

Tell Them Outright.

This option takes a bit more guts, but if you can muster up your kidneys and shoo the butterflies from your stomach, it can be really helpful to tell someone you trust straight up that things are not going so hot for you at the moment. 

MEMES, BABY.

This is my favored method. Nihilistic and niche memes are a quick and sometimes humorous way to alert someone that you need some extra help. Be certain to explicitly include how the meme applies to you, and make sure that the person you’re sending it to understands that you actually relate to the meme and need some help. 

Make it Apparent in Conversation.

If you’re feeling a little extra sensitive, be open about it. You don’t necessarily have to have a heart-to-heart. As previously mentioned, face-to-face breakdowns can be awkward, and it’s fine to want to avoid them. Instead, when something comes up in conversation that really bothers you, just mention it. Use ‘I’ statements, like ‘that makes me feel [insert applicable feeling here].’ Let the people you trust know how you’re doing during the course of your conversation.

Everyone goes through hard times. Sometimes they pass quickly, and other times some assistance is necessary to get through them. It can be daunting, but creating a support network can really help during those ‘down’ times. Hopefully these suggestions can take some of the pressure off deciding how to let someone you trust know that you need a helping hand. 

Images: 1, 2, 3, 4

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