How to Ask a Friend About a Rough Week
Launch library · evergreen read
Sometimes the signal that prompts a check in is small, an offhand comment about a rough week, a shorter than usual reply, a general sense that something is off. Following up on these small signals, rather than letting them pass, can open an important conversation. It is worth being patient with yourself while working through something like this.
A specific question, like asking what has made the week feel rough, tends to invite more detail than a general how are you. Showing that you noticed the specific comment, rather than asking a generic question, signals that you were genuinely listening. There is no wrong way to begin, only a decision to actually start.
If the week turns out to have been harder than it first sounded, Lifeline is available on 13 11 14 at any hour, and Beyond Blue offers support on 1300 22 4636. This can be revisited more than once if the first attempt does not go as hoped.