Unravel your anxiety
Be a supportive friend
Enhance your skills to support a friend or loved one when you notice they may be stressed or dealing with anxiety.
start
Let's Branch Out
Choose your path
You notice your friend from class has been acting a little differently lately. They seem more withdrawn, tired, overwhelmed, and irritable. You think they may be feeling stressed by their studies so you decide to check in.
Gently ask how they're doing
Text them later to do a quick check in
Invite them for a casual hang out
Branching Scenario
Supporting your stressed friend
Nice! Gently asking your friend how they're doing is a great way to show them you care without being too direct or pushy. This can help your friend feel more comfortable opening up. Your friend says they're alright but feeling a little overwhelmed from balancing school and their part time job.
Practice active listening by paying attention and offering subtle responses to acknowledge their feelings (note: yes, you can do this over text!)
Ask a question to understand more about their feelings or situation
Respond with "That sounds like a lot to deal with. Wanna talk about it more?"
Branching Scenario
Supporting your stressed friend
Cool! Sending a quick check in text is a nice low-stakes way to let your friend know you care and are thinking of them. This is also a great strategy for friends who always seem busy. Your friend replies that they're feeling stressed about school and their part time job.
Practice active listening by paying attention and offering subtle responses to acknowledge their feelings (note: yes, you can do this over text!)
Ask a question to understand more about their feelings or situation
Respond with "That sounds like a lot to deal with. Wanna talk about it more?"
Branching Scenario
Supporting your stressed friend
Great choice! Inviting your friend to a casual comfy hang out is a lowkey way to give them space to open up and also help them be in an environment away from stressors. As you hang out they tell you they're stressed from school and their part time job.
Practice active listening by paying attention and offering subtle responses to acknowledge their feelings (note: yes, you can do this over text!)
Ask a question to understand more about their feelings or situation
Respond with "That sounds like a lot to deal with. Wanna talk about it more?"
Branching Scenario
Supporting your stressed friend
Awesome choice! Listening and giving small acknowledgements without judging can give your friend space to debrief comfortably. This can build more trust and lead to deeper conversations. As your friend opens up more you want to help.
Suggest a coping strategy that they can do to help ease tension
Offer to help them with a task that is adding to their plate
Remind them that you're there for them and if they need more support they can see the campus counseling center.
Branching Scenario
Supporting your stressed friend
Noice! Asking a question can show your friend you're paying attention and truly care about what they're saying. This can help them feel comfortable opening up. You decide you want to help as they share more.
Suggest a coping strategy that they can do to help ease tension
Offer to help them with a task that is adding to their plate
Remind them that you're there for them and if they need more support they can see the campus counseling center.
Branching Scenario
Supporting your stressed friend
Very thoughtful! Asking your friend if they want to talk about it more creates an opportunity for them to open up without worrying if they're bothering you. This can help encourage them. As they talk about their stresses you want to help more.
Suggest a coping strategy that they can do to help ease tension
Offer to help them with a task that is adding to their plate
Remind them that you're there for them and if they need more support they can see the campus counseling center.
Branching Scenario
Supporting your stressed friend
10/10! Suggesting a coping mechanism can help your friend find a strategy to manage stress even when you're not there. It also encourages healthy habit building. You and your friend go your separate ways but now it's been a few days and you want to follow up.
Send them a funny meme to make them laugh
Text them and ask how they're doing
Invite them to chill and study together
Branching Scenario
Supporting your stressed friend
Great choice! Offering to help with a simple task can be a bigger relief than you might think. Your friend will be grateful as this could help take some weight off their shoulders. You've done what you could and now it's been a few days so you decide to check in.
Send them a funny meme to make them laugh
Text them and ask how they're doing
Invite them to chill and study together
Branching Scenario
Supporting your stressed friend
Awesome! Reminding your friend that you and others are there helps them identify support sources. It also assists with breaking the stigma around mental health and guides your friend when they need a little extra help. It's been a few days since you last spoke and you want to check in.
Send them a funny meme to make them laugh
Text them and ask how they're doing
Invite them to chill and study together
A HElpful hehe haha
Send them a funny meme to make them laugh
Sending a funny meme or video is a quick way to check in and boost their mood. This can be a nice short distraction from stress for your friend and can help encourage bringing laughter into their day. Laughter is a great way to bring some positive vibes in. You've built up some effective skills to help your friends who are stressed. Way to go! Dont forget to take care of yourself when you start to feel stressed as well!
Restart
A thoughtful text
Text them and ask how they're doing
A text is a flexible yet effective way to check in as you can do it anywhere and any time. It reminds your friend that you are genuinely there to support them and can help strengthen the friendship. Remember, sometimes your friends just need to know someone is there. Jumping straight to problem-solving isn't always helpful so doing quick check ins like this and asking your friends how you can support them will go a long way. Don't forget to take care of yourself when you get stressed too!
Restart
a productive chill sesh
Invite them to chill and study together
Inviting your friend to a chill study hangout is a subtle way to check in and see how they're doing. It's also a great way to kill two birds with one stone since you can make time to study and lessen some of the school related worries they may be dealing with. Sometimes a little socializing and company is just what your friend may need to boost their spirits. This can also be a great way for you to get any homework done or extra studying in while having fun too. Don't ferget to take care of yourself when you get stressed too!
Restart
Helping a Friend - Unravel your anxiety
Kuulei
Created on April 26, 2025
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Transcript
Unravel your anxiety
Be a supportive friend
Enhance your skills to support a friend or loved one when you notice they may be stressed or dealing with anxiety.
start
Let's Branch Out
Choose your path
You notice your friend from class has been acting a little differently lately. They seem more withdrawn, tired, overwhelmed, and irritable. You think they may be feeling stressed by their studies so you decide to check in.
Gently ask how they're doing
Text them later to do a quick check in
Invite them for a casual hang out
Branching Scenario
Supporting your stressed friend
Nice! Gently asking your friend how they're doing is a great way to show them you care without being too direct or pushy. This can help your friend feel more comfortable opening up. Your friend says they're alright but feeling a little overwhelmed from balancing school and their part time job.
Practice active listening by paying attention and offering subtle responses to acknowledge their feelings (note: yes, you can do this over text!)
Ask a question to understand more about their feelings or situation
Respond with "That sounds like a lot to deal with. Wanna talk about it more?"
Branching Scenario
Supporting your stressed friend
Cool! Sending a quick check in text is a nice low-stakes way to let your friend know you care and are thinking of them. This is also a great strategy for friends who always seem busy. Your friend replies that they're feeling stressed about school and their part time job.
Practice active listening by paying attention and offering subtle responses to acknowledge their feelings (note: yes, you can do this over text!)
Ask a question to understand more about their feelings or situation
Respond with "That sounds like a lot to deal with. Wanna talk about it more?"
Branching Scenario
Supporting your stressed friend
Great choice! Inviting your friend to a casual comfy hang out is a lowkey way to give them space to open up and also help them be in an environment away from stressors. As you hang out they tell you they're stressed from school and their part time job.
Practice active listening by paying attention and offering subtle responses to acknowledge their feelings (note: yes, you can do this over text!)
Ask a question to understand more about their feelings or situation
Respond with "That sounds like a lot to deal with. Wanna talk about it more?"
Branching Scenario
Supporting your stressed friend
Awesome choice! Listening and giving small acknowledgements without judging can give your friend space to debrief comfortably. This can build more trust and lead to deeper conversations. As your friend opens up more you want to help.
Suggest a coping strategy that they can do to help ease tension
Offer to help them with a task that is adding to their plate
Remind them that you're there for them and if they need more support they can see the campus counseling center.
Branching Scenario
Supporting your stressed friend
Noice! Asking a question can show your friend you're paying attention and truly care about what they're saying. This can help them feel comfortable opening up. You decide you want to help as they share more.
Suggest a coping strategy that they can do to help ease tension
Offer to help them with a task that is adding to their plate
Remind them that you're there for them and if they need more support they can see the campus counseling center.
Branching Scenario
Supporting your stressed friend
Very thoughtful! Asking your friend if they want to talk about it more creates an opportunity for them to open up without worrying if they're bothering you. This can help encourage them. As they talk about their stresses you want to help more.
Suggest a coping strategy that they can do to help ease tension
Offer to help them with a task that is adding to their plate
Remind them that you're there for them and if they need more support they can see the campus counseling center.
Branching Scenario
Supporting your stressed friend
10/10! Suggesting a coping mechanism can help your friend find a strategy to manage stress even when you're not there. It also encourages healthy habit building. You and your friend go your separate ways but now it's been a few days and you want to follow up.
Send them a funny meme to make them laugh
Text them and ask how they're doing
Invite them to chill and study together
Branching Scenario
Supporting your stressed friend
Great choice! Offering to help with a simple task can be a bigger relief than you might think. Your friend will be grateful as this could help take some weight off their shoulders. You've done what you could and now it's been a few days so you decide to check in.
Send them a funny meme to make them laugh
Text them and ask how they're doing
Invite them to chill and study together
Branching Scenario
Supporting your stressed friend
Awesome! Reminding your friend that you and others are there helps them identify support sources. It also assists with breaking the stigma around mental health and guides your friend when they need a little extra help. It's been a few days since you last spoke and you want to check in.
Send them a funny meme to make them laugh
Text them and ask how they're doing
Invite them to chill and study together
A HElpful hehe haha
Send them a funny meme to make them laugh
Sending a funny meme or video is a quick way to check in and boost their mood. This can be a nice short distraction from stress for your friend and can help encourage bringing laughter into their day. Laughter is a great way to bring some positive vibes in. You've built up some effective skills to help your friends who are stressed. Way to go! Dont forget to take care of yourself when you start to feel stressed as well!
Restart
A thoughtful text
Text them and ask how they're doing
A text is a flexible yet effective way to check in as you can do it anywhere and any time. It reminds your friend that you are genuinely there to support them and can help strengthen the friendship. Remember, sometimes your friends just need to know someone is there. Jumping straight to problem-solving isn't always helpful so doing quick check ins like this and asking your friends how you can support them will go a long way. Don't forget to take care of yourself when you get stressed too!
Restart
a productive chill sesh
Invite them to chill and study together
Inviting your friend to a chill study hangout is a subtle way to check in and see how they're doing. It's also a great way to kill two birds with one stone since you can make time to study and lessen some of the school related worries they may be dealing with. Sometimes a little socializing and company is just what your friend may need to boost their spirits. This can also be a great way for you to get any homework done or extra studying in while having fun too. Don't ferget to take care of yourself when you get stressed too!
Restart