thanks everyone for taking the time to read the rules. in the interest of creating an open and welcoming community, we reserve the right to remove and/or ban anybody who violates these guidelines. luckily, the rules are pretty straightforward and can be found here. we'd also like to give a reminder of the most important points:
any of the following will result in a ban and removal of the post
we also employ a rule which states that post titles and content must be specific and actionable. that way all the kind people looking to help can do so without confusion or too much additional clarification. breaking this rule will also result in removal of the post.
we from MellowTalk just want to reiterate that the purpose of leaving insights is to assist in some way the original poster. luckily, the same principals that we recommend for chatting can be applied to the forum we've left them here for reference.
you're talking to another person. be kind. be polite. pretend like they are there in front of you.
there will always be something going on in life which causes some degree of stress. it is simply part of being human. to some, this stress may be minimal, but to others it can be consuming. make sure to keep in mind that what is hurting someone is always something that should be addressed, no matter how small it may seem. one person's problem is no less important than another's even if you consider it common.
in the famous words of psychologist Carl Rodgers, you should always maintain basic acceptance and support of a person no matter what that person says. people can always get better if they set themselves to the task. its up to you to help them realize that.
if you're confused about what the person is saying, don't be afraid to ask questions! request clarification and make sure the other person understands that you care about them.
for listeners, the goal of the conversation is to make the other person feel better. you need to earn that thank you and doing so means to focus your attention on the talker. don't push religious beliefs or mindsets, the essence of peer counseling is about helping each other at the most basic level. while you may be helping yourself by helping others, just keep in mind the role you are here to play.