Help Me To Be An Encouragement To Others
To Be More Joyful: Encourage Others
Jessica Fisher
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. We participate in other affiliate programs as well. For more details, please see our disclosure policy.Hey there! I'm Jessica. I think that motherhood should be savored, a good piece of chocolate. But sometimes it feels more duty than delight. Am I right? I'm working to change that. Read more about me here and this blog here.
This is a continuing series about ways in which we can become more joyful. If you missed previous posts or find that you’re still too crabby, go back to the beginning of 14 Ways to Be More Joyful.
This past week as my kids and I hit a few bumps in the road as regards schooling and life in general, I found myself alternating between discouragement and bulldogged determination to solve the problems. I knew that our school and home wasn’t running as smoothly as it could.
As I reflected on possible reasons why and on the several areas where I saw room for improvement, I felt I had a big L emblazoned on my forehead. You know, “Loser!”
A vanilla coke and a pep talk from FishPapa helped things immensely. I later realized that my kids probably needed just as much encouragement as I did. So as the week continued, I looked for ways to encourage them.
I intentionally sought out moments to praise growth and improvement.
And their eyes sparkled. And the dimples showed. And I knew that they felt good inside. And so did I!
By telling them when they were doing something right, I was boosting their spirits and giving them confidence to try — and win. In the process, I was boosted in knowing that I was helping them learn, grow, and develop.
I realized that being an encourager not only helps others, but it helps me be a happier mom.
What are you looking at?
Think about driving. I remember in driver’s training that they made a big point of keeping your eyes on the road, specifically focusing on where you wanted to go. If you looked to the left, instinctively your body would turn the car to the left. Don’t look where you don’t want to go. We were instructed to keep our eyes on the goal.
Hmmm…. Ya with me here?
If I am seeking to find fault, I will find it — as well as the emotions that come with criticism and defensiveness.
But if I am concentrating on encouraging my children, my husband, or my friends, I will look toward making people do right and feel right about themselves and I will land in a happy place. Literally.
I’m not saying that we never bring criticism. I’m talking about encouraging others. In The One-Minute Manager, the authors suggest, “Help people reach their full potential. Catch them doing something right.”The rationale is that if someone does something correctly and is praised appropriately, they will want to do that thing again. You’re conditioning them to want the right thing.
And when they know the right thing and know that you are on their side, they will be able to take criticisms with that mindset.
Encouragement can be powerful
- It helps our kids know we love them.
- It revitalizes the weary spirit.
- It promotes improvement in weaker areas.
- It strengthens already positive characteristics.
- It simply feels good when we can lift up one another.
Encourage Generously
But maybe life already feels one big give-athon. You wonder when you will ever catch up. When will the laundry pile diminish? How long until the baby is potty trained? Will this child ever obey me? Will it ever get any easier?
One thing that has helped me over the years has been this verse that a friend pointed me to long ago.
A generous man will prosper;
he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
— Proverbs 11:25
I was whining that I didn’t feel my hard work and care for others would ever be reciprocated. My friend pointed out that God has already promised me that it would. It might not come from the same person I was giving to, but God says that those who care for others will be cared for. He’s looking out for you.
Encourage generously. They’ll be blessed and you will be more joyful.
Are you an encourager?
What holds you back? What spurs you on? Where can you grow in this area?
Источник: //lifeasmom.com/to-be-more-joyful-encourage-others/
3 Ways to Encourage Others to Be Confident
“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”
Everybody struggles with their confidence levels from time to time. We each have our own unique set of anxieties and insecurities. It doesn’t matter how attractive or unattractive we are, where we went to school or how much money we have in the bank. Everyone has something that makes them feel stressed, unsure of themselves, and generally uncomfortable.
The best thing we as human beings can do for each other is help someone else build up their own confidence. Sometimes all a person needs in order to feel more confident is to know that someone else has confidence in them.
Whether it’s a friend, relative, significant other, coworker, or even mere acquaintance, even the smallest of gestures can do wonders to improve another person’s confidence levels.
These barely scratch the surface, but here are three ways to encourage others to be more confident:
1. Celebrate their wins
Even the smallest ones. Make a point to celebrate every victory with someone. Your friend aced a test, rocked a term paper, or made a killer presentation at work? Tell them how awesome you think that is.
Vocalize the factors that led to their successes and helped them get their win. If it was a long road to victory, make sure they know that it was their hard work that paid off.
This will help them feel more confident going into future, similar situations in the future.
Make a point to say things : “Congratulations on nailing that presentation! You worked really hard on it and it paid off. That’s awesome and I’m really proud of you. Now let’s go celebrate!”
[clickToTweet tweet=”Help others to celebrate their small wins.” quote=”Help others to celebrate their small wins.”]2. Compliment them often.
Now, I’m not talking about insincere compliments or small forms of flattery. As with the first situation I mentioned, it’s important to make sure you are freely and openly complimenting people as often as possible on the things they are doing well.
If you know someone who you think is a great writer, make sure they know how much you their writing. People tend to be highly critical of themselves, way more than others are of them in comparison, so it’s important to express appreciation and admiration for what they are doing.
Make a point to say things : “I just read that thing you posted. It was so well written! You have such a talent for this kind of thing. Keep up the awesome work!”
[clickToTweet tweet=”A genuine compliment goes a long way to inspire confidence in others.” quote=”A genuine compliment goes a long way to inspire confidence in others.”]3. Listen to learn
This one is perhaps the most important of the three ways to encourage others to be more confident. If someone shares a personal story, anecdote, or secret with you about something they feel confident or insecure about, take the time to actively listen: affirm what you hear and ask questions to get a complete understanding of the situation.
Know that someone may tell you something that may not seem a huge deal to you, but it could be that person’s entire world. Their insecurities and anxieties may be creeping in and causing a lack of confidence. The rationale behind what they are thinking or feeling could very well be driven by deep-seated fears and in some cases, depression.
Only once you begin to understand the root cause of the issue can you begin to address their concerns with a deeper, more enlightened understanding. And only then will you be able to offer better advice and begin to instill a greater confidence in them.
Make a point to say things : “I know you’re feeling nervous about this presentation because public speaking makes you feel anxious, and because you’re afraid you will make a mistake in front of your peers.
Just know that we all feel super nervous about presenting, and if you do make a mistake, I’ll be there to support you.
I don’t think that will be an issue, though, because you’ve done all you can do to prepare, and I’m confident that you’re going to rock it tomorrow!”
[clickToTweet tweet=”To encourage confidence, avoid down-talking someone’s fears or insecurities. Simply listen.” quote=”To encourage confidence, avoid down-talking someone’s fears or insecurities. Simply listen.”]As I said before, there are so many ways to encourage others and instill confidence in them, and these three ways just barely scratch the surface.
As long as you are mindful of the people you encounter, taking the time to openly honor and appreciate them and listen for the root cause of their problems and stressors, you’ll find it easy to fall right into the habit.
It requires very little effort in your part, and even the smallest gestures can go a long way to make someone’s day or pull them a bad mood or deep funk.[clickToTweet tweet=”3 Ways To Encourage Others To Be Confident” quote=”3 Ways To Encourage Others To Be Confident”]
Tell me, what steps do you take to actively encourage others to be more confident? What do others do to make you feel more confident when the situation is reversed? Tell me in the comment section below!
Источник: //gentwenty.com/encourage-others-to-be-confident/
8 Simple Ways to Encourage Your Students
by Susan Verner89,954 views
What is going on with your students? They need encouragement. It is natural for any and all ESL students to struggle in their English studies at one point or another, and the struggle often has nothing whatsoever to do with test scores.
When a person is trying to learn a foreign language, and particularly if they are studying overseas, immersion in English can get overwhelming.
If left unchecked, this feeling of frustration can have damaging effects on your students’ psyches as well as their academic performance, but frustration doesn’t have to be the victor. When your students are hitting that discouragement roadblock, you can help clear the way.
With simple acts of encouragement you will find that your students go from yuck to yay in no time at all! Here are some ways you can encourage your students today.
How to Encourage Your Students: 8 Simple Ways
1
Praising your students is one of the most effective and easiest ways to lift their spirits and keep them working hard. Teachers who excel at praising their students do it publically as well as privately, both verbally and in writing. They send notes home to parents (when appropriate) and have special events during school to recognize the achievements of their students.
2
Your students don’t have to be optimists to set unrealistic goals and expectations for themselves. No one can become fluent after only one semester studying English. And when those same students fail to meet those the water goals, they get discouraged.
Sometimes the best thing for your students is for you to be a voice of reason. Help them understand what realistic progress looks , and work with them to set goals that are challenging but still reachable.
When students meet these goals, take time to celebrate their achievements.
3
Excitement is contagious, and showing your students that you are happy to be with them and guide them on their English journey will make a difference in how they view your class.
Be energetic. Be creative. Have fun, and let your students see those positive feelings on a daily basis.
When they see how excited you are to be teaching English to them, they will be more excited to learn it from you!
4
Little in the classroom is worse than doing the same thing day after day. When you vary what you do in class, you will find that your students are more engaged and more excited to participate. In particular, when you vary your activities to meet your students’ different learning styles, they will not only have fun but will find your teaching more effective.
Try to include visual activities and oral activities. Use music and hands on activities on a regular basis. Give your students a chance to use their hands and get physical with what you are teaching. Give them time to work with others as well as individually. You will find that when you meet your students’ learning styles, they will be more encouraged about what they are learning.
5
For some of us teachers, it is easy to dominate the classroom and the conversation with our students. Anyone who teachers has to work well with people and be comfortable with public speaking, but sometimes we go too far.
If you are talking more than your students are in class, you should probably think about stepping back and letting them do more of the communicating. When students play a more active role in class and in their education, they learn faster, better and with a better attitude.
The simple act of letting them talk more will boost the spirits of frustrated students.
6
Theory is all find and dandy, but when it has no basis in reality some may ask what the point is. Whenever you can, make your English lessons practical. Use real life English materials and give your students realistic scenarios.
Make a point of creating opportunities for them to use the English they are learning with native speakers. You can include conversation partners in class or send your students out on creative fieldtrips around your campus.
When your students see that what they are learning is practical and useful, they will be motivated to learn more.
7
Even if you make goal setting a part of your classroom activities and review them periodically, some students may still need you to point out their successes.
When you see students making improvements or hear of the accomplishments they have made, make a point of noticing. More than that, tell them what you see, what they have achieved and that they should be proud.
Making positive observations is more than just praising your students. It is pointing out when they achieve things they don’t even see as progress.
8
Text books are great, and getting them every once in a while is even greater. Keep your students encouraged to use the English they are learning by giving them credit for things they do outside the classroom. Build it into your grading scale or give extra credit for real life language usage.
Ask students to share when they strike up a conversation with a stranger, successfully give directions to a cab driver, read and fill out applications written in English as well as any of a number of other activities.
If you , make these type of real life language use assignments for class, and your students are sure to get a lift when they accomplish them.
The best teachers do more than teach
They encourage their students and act as cheerleaders for them along the language learning highway. Every ESL student needs a pick me up every once in a while, and when you make it a habit to encourage your students, they will have just what they need from you just when they need it.
What do you do to encourage your students?
P.S. If you enjoyed this article, please help spread it by clicking one of those sharing buttons below. And if you are interested in more, you should follow our page where we share more about creative, non-boring ways to teach English.
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Источник: //busyteacher.org/16314-8-simple-ways-to-encourage-your-students.html
24 Ways To Encourage Others – Giving Encouragement To People
“Most of us,swimming against the tides oftrouble the world knows nothing about,need only a bit of praise or encouragement –
and we will make the goal.”
~ Jerome Fleishman ~
What Is Encouragement?
Definition: ENCOURAGEMENT : something that makes someone feel more supported: something that makes someone more determined, hopeful, or confident
: something that makes someone more ly to do something
Yesterday when I listed the Top 41 Lessons Blogging Teaches About Life And The Ways Blogging Has Changed Me, one of the things I talked about was how I knew I was loved. Feeling loved is powerful…very powerful.
Have you ever heard of times in the news when people did things that seemed impossible? I remember long ago when a boy was trapped under a car and the boy’s mother lifted the car AND pulled the boy out from under it. Sounded absolutely impossible, but it really happened. That was some powerful love.
Love is a powerful emotion that can help people do things they never dreamed they could accomplish.
One of the reasons that I talk so much about PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) is because when I was being tormented by it, I felt very alone.
It was bad enough teetering between feeling insane or an alien in my own skin, but to also feel lonely and alone was almost more than I could bear.
Because of that terrorizing, agonizing, depressing, scary, unhappy, sad, lonely period of my life, I think it is absolutely necessary for EVERYONE to understand PTSD.
Giving a person with PTSD encouragement helps them hang on and continue to fight the agony they feel. Most of the time it feels impossible to live another minute and the reasons to continue living don’t really feel that important. Encouragement helps a person feel more hopeful.Even though a person may appear to be perfectly fine, they may actually be hurting inside. That is often true with people who are experiencing PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and depression.
There is something we all can do for people who are hurting.
There are many ways that we can give people hope and one of the easiest ways is to give encouragement regularly. That may sound vague and not that important, but encouragement is the emotionally equivalent to throwing a rope to a drowning man. Hope is empowering and since encouragement gives hope, you can help to empower someone who is hurting.
Here is a list of 24 easy and practical ways that you can give encouragement to people:
- Go to lunch or dinner together.
- Give the person praise publicly.
- Offer to do a task for the person.
- Spend time listening to the person talk.
- Ask the person how you can help them.
- Offer to babysit their children so they can get away for a while.
- Call the person often just to let them know you were thinking of them.
- Post a compliment or encouraging words on their wall.
- When someone is making changes in their life, notice and offer words of praise.
- Smile as you pass other people. You never know who needs to see a kind face to give them hope.
- Write a letter of commendation to the person’s boss.
- Write a note and put it in their lunch or leave a note on their desk.
- Give the person a gift.
- Give the person a hug.
- Give the person a compliment.
- Give the person an uplifting card.
- Give the person a motivational book.
- Give the person a gift card to a restaurant.
- Send the person chocolates.
- Send the person flowers/Give the person a single flower.
- Tell the person a funny joke.
- Tell the person that you love them.
- Tell the person you will pray for them.
- Tell the person that you appreciate them.
Having the opportunity to offer encouragement to another person is a privilege. Giving of yourself will not only help the other person, but a consequence of your unselfishness is that you will feel happier and better about yourself. Being encouraging doesn’t take that much time or effort for you, but it could mean the world to the person who is swimming against the tides of trouble.
Sherry Riter a.k.a. The Redhead Riter is Witty, Intelligent & Addictive. Having been to “Hell and back,” her passionate writing will inspire, motivate, educate and make you laugh. Sherry is ready to help you reach your full potential and Stop Living Comfortably Miserable.
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Источник: //theredheadriter.com/2015/03/24-ways-to-encourage-others-giving-encouragement-to-people/
