The Importance of Asking for Help

It may be due to the fear of looking stupid or a desperate attempt to prove oneself as the lone wolf, and the not-asking-for-help tendency is disarming in many ways. A very common tendency among students, it provides only short-term comfort but comes at the cost of long-term development. In this article, let us try and understand why it is essential to ask for help and how asking for help makes you grow.

Gets You Out of Your Comfort Zone

Most people avoid asking for help because that would take them out of their comfort zone. However, that is not where you want to remain if you wish to see growth. If you stay in your comfort zone forever, then there is a chance that you will never reach your full potential. Hence, by asking for help, you choose to step out of your comfort zone and force yourself to develop.

Develops Relationship

In asking for help,  we often need to share personal information and problems. Essentially, we give an impression to people that we like them and wish to build a relationship. We also create a positive impression of ourselves by sharing personal data because by doing so, we come across as friendly, warm, and trustworthy. Therefore, asking for help not only solves the issue but also gains you some meaningful relationships.  

High Performing Trait

According to research, people who seek the advice of their colleagues are considered high performers. Those people who ask for help in order to clarify their doubts do so because they wish to improve. By seeking advice, they also improve upon their weaknesses. Another point of view based on the Dunning-Kruger effect states that those who refuse to ask for help carry an inflated view about themselves and their abilities. Therefore, people who are less likely to ask for help and seek advice are low-performing individuals who are under the impression that their performance levels are already high.  

Improves Resilience

We have already established that asking for help can forge meaningful contacts. Due to this, you will find yourself around people who can make you feel good about yourself. Such people facilitate further developments and bring a sense of optimism and hope, which helps in dealing with challenging situations. In the long run, this enhances our resilience.

Makes you Look Good

Most of us have grown up under the impression that vulnerability is a sign of weakness. However, the people around us find our vulnerability a symbol of courage. Recent research has also supported this theory. People tend to perceive their vulnerabilities more negatively than those shown by others.  

Helps You Gain Insight

According to a study conducted by O.C. Tanner Institute, 72% of people are appreciated and awarded for their performance when they tend to ask for help, advice, opinions, and insights from people outside their inner circle. This leads to creating new ideas and fresh perspectives regarding solving a problem. Hence asking for help leads to better, stronger, and more successful results. 

Keeps You from Breaking

People who refrain from asking for help tend to take too many responsibilities on their shoulders. Such a habit makes you overwork and ultimately break yourself. Even though most people do not acknowledge it, every person has a limit. And if we exceed that limit, then there are chances that the person may cause severe damage to his mental health. Therefore, seeking help becomes some sort of protective measure. Research conducted on 1700 professionals in the US, UK, China, South Africa, and Australia shows that employees spend more than half of their working hours receiving and managing information rather than utilizing it to do their jobs. What is even more alarming is that more than 50% of these workers reported that they are nearing their breaking point. Hence, if you wish to stay in the long run and keep your sanity intact, then you must reach out to people and ask for additional help

Move Past the Fear of Rejection

There are people who do not seek outside help because they fear being turned down. In most cases, people take rejection personally. When you ask for help and do not receive positive feedback, it does not need to become an awkward or uncomfortable situation. If you ask someone for help, and if they deny it, it does not mean that they are rejecting you or disregarding you. It is simply because they have a certain limitation or they are unable to assist you at that moment. This psychological fear of rejection is why most people avoid asking for help. However, when we develop the habit of reaching out to people, it gets easier, and ultimately, we move past the fear of rejection. Therefore, apart from helping in the career, asking for help can also make a person grow as an individual.