Do you sometimes feel like you could use a little bit of help from others, but you don’t know how or who to ask? There’s nothing wrong with needing a little assistance in life, especially if you’re older or have a disability that makes life a little more challenging.
When you need help getting through the day or completing household tasks, you shouldn’t feel ashamed. Just because other people handle everything alone doesn’t mean you need to as well.
If you are still unsure and need a good reason to reach out for support, here are several reasons it’s perfectly okay to ask for help.
1. Some people love being helpful
Source: mayflower.org.au
There are some people in this world who absolutely thrive on helping others. Many of these individuals make a career out of it by becoming caregivers. If you need help, there are people who want to support you, but you’ll have to reach out first.
The first place to start is in your own family. Do you have someone close to you that you trust and can lean on to assist with your needs? If so, they might be your biggest source of support. Whether you need help a few times a week or every day, consider asking someone you already know.
It’s common for family members to become caregivers and split the work in shifts based on each person’s availability. If you’re on Medicaid, they might even be able to get paid to provide you with care. For instance, FreedomCare in Pennsylvania is just one program that will pay your loved one for caregiving.
Getting paid is a big deal because some people can’t afford to take unpaid time off of work. If lost income is a concern, programs like this one are the ideal solution.
Many people are just waiting for the opportunity to be a contribution to the people they love, and by asking for help, you’re giving them the opportunity to express their care for you.
2. Needing help is legitimate
Source: verywellmind.com
No matter how old or young you are, and regardless of how other people perceive your abilities, it’s always legitimate to need help. You might appear to be perfectly capable and independent, but are, in fact, held back by an invisible disability. This can make you feel weird asking for help without explaining every detail about why you need assistance to people you know. If you feel awkward about getting help with small things, don’t mention it to others. Just hire someone for the job and keep it to yourself.
Don’t feel obligated to explain yourself and never allow other people’s perceptions to influence your willingness to seek help. If you need to hire someone to do your laundry because you don’t have the strength or energy, don’t worry about being judged as lazy. What other people think is not your concern. People who enjoy helping others aren’t going to judge you and they’ll be more than happy to provide support.
3. Your life will be easier
Source: welldoing.org
If it’s at all possible, why wouldn’t you want to make your life easier? Asking for help is the only way to relieve the burden of being overwhelmed by tasks and responsibilities you can’t complete on your own. Even if you are physically capable, everyone gets behind sometimes and there’s no shame in wanting to outsource overdue tasks.
Start making your life easier by writing down all the tasks you can’t do by yourself, things that have fallen to the wayside, or things you’d rather hand to someone else. Then, create a plan to hire out each need. This might include tasks like:
- Housework
- Yardwork
- Grocery shopping
- Moving boxes to another room
- Organizing a room or closet
- Hauling away trash and debris to the dump
- Rearranging furniture
Basically, look into hiring out any task that will take time, energy, and strength that you don’t have to spare. Outsource whatever you can and you’ll have more time to rest, work, and do whatever it is you enjoy. Freeing up your time will be especially useful if you’ve been wanting to start a business, launch a blog, or get moving on a side project remodeling your home.
4. You can pay for help
Source: verywellmind.com
One of the best reasons to ask for help when you need it is the fact that you can pay others to do just about anything. You don’t have to rely on people who say they’ll help for free and risk them forgetting, postponing, or bailing on their word. If this is a big concern for you, remember that money talks and there’s always someone willing to work for cash.
Many people earn a good living helping with side jobs no matter how small or seemingly mundane. If you have the money to pay someone either hourly or per-project, go for it – there’s someone out there who will be happy to help.
This applies to everything, including raking leaves, changing a door lock, getting a ride to the airport, or getting to an event where you don’t feel comfortable parking for some reason. Maybe you want to attend a concert, but can’t confidently parallel park, for example. Whatever the case, you can plan your transportation needs to pay someone else to do the driving.
You can find helpers on Craigslist, but it’s probably a safer option to look for help in your local community’s Facebook group because you can view post history to find out who’s reliable (and who’s not). If someone has a great reputation in your community, they’re probably going to be a better match for your needs.
Everyone needs help sometimes
You really can’t do everything by yourself no matter how hard you try. Being a human means you’ll need help from other people periodically. You can hire help or turn to people you know. Real friends and family won’t consider it burdensome when you need some assistance, so don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help – people who care about you would probably love the opportunity to contribute to your life.
