Dear Journal,
What happens when your friend comes to you, explaining to you that their cat just died, or maybe their parents are having a divorce? Do you sit there, wondering what you should say or do you end up taking over the conversation, lecturing them or changing the subject? Sometimes it's difficult to know what to do when you are on the receiving end of your best friend's venting, but knowing how you should react to it will make the conversation less awkward for you and perhaps more helpful for your friend. Saying too much can lead to a very uncomfortable, and often frustrating, experience for the other person. I've had times where i'm talking to someone after a really bad day and then all of a sudden, they say, "look at this awesome bracelet that Brittney got me!" It catches me off guard, so then I awkwardly say, "oh, OK, good for you. But back to my bad day..." And then, if they continue, I start getting frustrated and just give up. I either go with the flow, or just excuse myself from the conversation altogether. Then again, saying too little can leave the other person waiting for your responses. For instance, say I'm really upset with someone and I'm talking to my best friend about it, if I say, "Isn't that awful?" and then they say, "Uh, sure?" It sorta sounds like you aren't listening to me and then I feel like I'm rambling along. If you just don't know how to react to whatever your friend is talking about, just think about how you'd want yourself to respond. What way would be most helpful to you? Being there for your friend as a listener or an advice giver? Using these strategies when talking to your friends about difficult situations in their life will surely help both of you in the end :-)
Love Always <3,
Karina Lowell
What happens when your friend comes to you, explaining to you that their cat just died, or maybe their parents are having a divorce? Do you sit there, wondering what you should say or do you end up taking over the conversation, lecturing them or changing the subject? Sometimes it's difficult to know what to do when you are on the receiving end of your best friend's venting, but knowing how you should react to it will make the conversation less awkward for you and perhaps more helpful for your friend. Saying too much can lead to a very uncomfortable, and often frustrating, experience for the other person. I've had times where i'm talking to someone after a really bad day and then all of a sudden, they say, "look at this awesome bracelet that Brittney got me!" It catches me off guard, so then I awkwardly say, "oh, OK, good for you. But back to my bad day..." And then, if they continue, I start getting frustrated and just give up. I either go with the flow, or just excuse myself from the conversation altogether. Then again, saying too little can leave the other person waiting for your responses. For instance, say I'm really upset with someone and I'm talking to my best friend about it, if I say, "Isn't that awful?" and then they say, "Uh, sure?" It sorta sounds like you aren't listening to me and then I feel like I'm rambling along. If you just don't know how to react to whatever your friend is talking about, just think about how you'd want yourself to respond. What way would be most helpful to you? Being there for your friend as a listener or an advice giver? Using these strategies when talking to your friends about difficult situations in their life will surely help both of you in the end :-)
Love Always <3,
Karina Lowell
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