I used to run support groups to tackle the rampant helplessness I saw around me.
The way it worked is that the person would describe their situation and then everyone else would ask questions.
The format was:
1. understand the facts, and understand if they are actually true
2. explore options, even crazy ones
3. pick an action to take and commit to it
For the questioners, the most important rule was you can't give advice. The person who is asking for help needs own it. They provide all the answers and decide on their own action. That action could be anything from talking to your manager, to setting boundaries, to looking for another job.
It worked amazingly well, many people who started off feeling stuck realized they had the ability to find a better path. Even just making a conscious decision to do nothing and being okay with the consequences of that is empowering and insightful.
I used to be completely helpless, learned from childhood. I finally realized that I'm not a child anymore and I have so many more options as an adult.
Happy to chat with you if you're feeling stuck, feel free to email me (see my profile).
Shameless plug: I stopped this to work on a related area - empowering people through team-building. The first session is free, you could do it in place of your next virtual happy hour! Check it out at https://risingteam.com.
The way it worked is that the person would describe their situation and then everyone else would ask questions.
The format was:
1. understand the facts, and understand if they are actually true
2. explore options, even crazy ones
3. pick an action to take and commit to it
For the questioners, the most important rule was you can't give advice. The person who is asking for help needs own it. They provide all the answers and decide on their own action. That action could be anything from talking to your manager, to setting boundaries, to looking for another job.
It worked amazingly well, many people who started off feeling stuck realized they had the ability to find a better path. Even just making a conscious decision to do nothing and being okay with the consequences of that is empowering and insightful.
I used to be completely helpless, learned from childhood. I finally realized that I'm not a child anymore and I have so many more options as an adult.
Happy to chat with you if you're feeling stuck, feel free to email me (see my profile).
Shameless plug: I stopped this to work on a related area - empowering people through team-building. The first session is free, you could do it in place of your next virtual happy hour! Check it out at https://risingteam.com.