How Do You Help A Friend Know Its Okay To Be Themselves?
• Study your friend’s habits. Notice what she likes or dislikes, and remember it. Pay attention to how she dresses, what she eats, her favorite music and books, and what religion she practices. • Do some reading on your own time about her hobbies. If she’s into a certain band, learn about that band. If she’s a vegetarian, learn about vegetarianism. You get the idea. You want her to feel understood, so you need to understand as much as possible about where she’s “coming from.” • Ask your friend some noninvasive questions about herself and what she thinks. Engage her in conversation. Be really interested in her world and listen to her views, but don’t pry. You want her to feel like she’s important and her ideas matter. • If she seems unwilling to talk about something, change the subject. Don’t put her “on the spot” or make her feel uncomfortable. • Don’t criticize or act as though you disapprove of her. This will only hint that you don’t like the way she is and she should change- which i
