@Pudding1000

Dear new listeners,

I would tell myself on my first day, you won't connect with everyone and you start to doubt your capabilities, but keep going, keep being you and you'll have that one chat that in your heart you'll truly know you made a difference 💛

@Pudding1000

Dear new listeners,

It's okay to take breaks. To be able to help others to the fullest, we also have to take care of ourselves. 

Ensuring you don't burn out today is the best way to give the best support tomorrow! 

@Pudding1000

Here are our Welcome Committee-Listeners Team Members! 
Kindly reach out to them if you have any questions about 7cups as a New Listener! 
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@Pudding1000 

Dear New Listener,

Members come here for different reasons. More often than not, I've found during my time as a listener that they just wish to feel heard or casually chat for a bit.

There is no "one-size-fits-all" approach to listening. This site has many awesome resources on different methods + what to consider and such -- I highly recommend reading up on those to best inform how you go about chats. They are immensely helpful and meant to be adjustable by situation.

If you need to step back because you're not qualified for their issue or something else is going on, speak up. Use the referral resources, encourage the member to seek a new/more experienced listener or our site therapy side. There is no shame in it.

Take breaks. This is also very important. Stay hydrated, eat/rest well to the best of your ability (I know we all have different living circumstances).

You're doing a lot more good than you may realize on this site. It goes by quickly.

Best wishes.

Dear new listeners,

I have been a listener for almost 4 months now, and I still feel pretty new in the sense of experience. I feel really welcomed by the community and I have made some great connections, and also I've learned a lot on my listener journey so far.

Firstly, never ever let yourself think you are not good enough as a listener. Every member needs a different type of approach. You don't have to keep it fixed to be a good listener, and also you don't have to change your way of listening to fit each member perfectly. You can't be the best fit for everyone, and that okay! Be true to yourself, your members, take help from your mentors and peers and keep improving!

That brings me to my second point, always be open to improve. You will never be "perfect" as a listener. There is always something you need to learn, need to improve on, or maybe change a bit. Shed habits that hurt others, adapt ones that make them feel comfortable and open with you.

Third, listening isn't limited to 7 cups. You train for life here. Good listeners are appreciated in the real world as well. Not everyone who needs support will be a member of 7 Cups. It could be a friend, family member, a classmate, anyone. Never hesitate to use your listening skills anywhere outside 7 cups!

Fourth, don't forget to take care of yourself. It is fun and amazing to be a listener, to help other people, to listen to them and actually be able to help them. It gives you major satisfaction. But then, we often forget that when we listen to so much, we get mentally exhausted. Pause, take a break, reset.

Fifth, you can't be there for everyone, and it's completely fine. You don't have to take each and every general chat, reply to every forum, help every person in the support room, or respond to each message within seconds. You are human too, and you matter as much as your members do!

Thank you for reading everyone. Those are the big five I collected over this period of being a listener. Hope it can help someone. Happy listening! 💖

7 cups helps so many people, keep going!

@Pudding1000 Dear New Listener,

I'd tell myself that it's okay to not accept a chat from the chat requests when I can't provide the right kind of support. When you are here and there no chat request or the ones which you can take up, then engage with members in chatrooms. Listen to them, hold a safe space and maintain your boundaries. At first somethings might overwhelm you and some make you doubt your listening. But the key is to keep moving forward, improving what you already have, reaching out to another listener/mod and posting a community forum. These things will not only make your listening journey a bit easier, it helps you to take good care of yourself, reach out when needed and improve your communication skills. 

You will make a difference in your life and in someone's life 💖

@Pudding1000 Dear new listeners,

Being a good listener isn't just something you're born with... it is also a skill that grows with practice.

If, after a few chats, you feel like you're not cut out for this, please don't let that discourage you. The fact that you're reflecting on your conversations and wondering how you can do better is exactly what will help you become a thoughtful, compassionate listener.

Give yourself time. Every chat teaches you something, and every step forward brings you closer to the listener you want to become <3

@Pudding1000
Dear New Listeners,
When I first became a listener on 7 cups, I didn't knew how to initiate proper conversations, handle ghosting members, and deal with anxiety from having to wait a couple of minutes for a reply to come in, deal with members going through an emotional and aggressive phase in life, and stop myself from judging, analyzing, and giving solutions to members. I learned these things with time and patience.

I want you to remember that being a listener is not just about chatting with members. It is beneficial for You as a person as well. You listen about numerous issues, from myriad perspectives and starts to locate your own self within the vast tapestry of human society. You listen, but you also learn from other's mistakes. The experience of being a listener is genuinely rare and is worth cherishing. Perhaps that is why people stay here for years, and give hundreds of hours without expecting a single penny in return. The experience of listening, the joy of helping, and the ecstasy of connecting with new people is a reward within itself.

@Pudding1000

Dear New Listener..

Thank you for trying to make a difference! I understand this is a new and exciting journey with its own doubts, but make sure to take it One Step At A Time! Make sure to have fun along the way and meet new and amazing people! ALWAYS ask for help if you need it! Everyone here is very warm and welcoming! I hope this platform embraces you the way it has embraced me <3

Best of luck~💞💗