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Are you a member considering becoming a listener but not very sure? Read on, this post is for you!
Questions to Ask to Yourself
Am I currently stable enough to be able to support someone?
Do I have good boundaries?
Am I able to show patience in trying to understand someone?
Do I genuinely care and look to be kind and empathetic?
Am I good at self-care?
Am I willing to learn and grow in my active listening skills?
Am I aware of cups/compassion fever?
Let's treat all the above questions one by one!
1. Am I currently stable enough to be able to support someone?
Each of us has some struggles, but if you are balanced enough you could be good to listen and support someone❤️ If you are unbalanced and struggling too much in your days, then you won't be able to give off calm and compassionate vibes to the member required for making the member feel better.
2. Do I have good boundaries?
You need to have the ability to say 'no'. When a chat topic triggers you, or a chat feels uncomfortable/unproductive, you need to be able to say to the member in a polite and firm way that you won't be able to support them on the topic. You may assure the member that it has nothing to do with them but about your comfort level as a listener. If a member disrespects your boundaries despite you reminding them 2/3 times about it, you need to end the chat with them and block them as last resort. If you are willing to develop strong boundaries, you could be a good fit for becoming a listener!
3. Am I able to show patience in trying to understand someone?
Understanding someone not only requires your time but your patient listening to their story as they vent bit by bit to you. Members take time to open up and thus it is required of the listener to be patiently allowing the member a compassionate space where they may begin to open up to you. This would require not interrupting them while they are trying to tell you something, letting them know you are there by short supportive phrases, asking relevant open-ended questions for them to feel guided in sharing their story with you, not giving advice and rather helping them explore their options and sort their mind, etc. If you feel you could show or develop that patience, becoming a listener could be right for you!
4. Do I genuinely care and look to be kind and empathetic?
This is a very important question! Not everyone feels a natural inclination to help and support another. If you feel genuine care towards other people's struggles, feel good to say kind and supportive responses, and look to imagine yourself in their situation to better understand their struggle, you could be a good fit for becoming a listener.
5. Am I good at self-care?
Do you look to be patient, kind, and supportive to your own self? If yes, you may be able to be the same for someone else too!
6. Am I willing to learn and grow in my active listening skills?
A listener's journey is a learner's journey. If you could see each chat as a learning experience, get help from a listener mentor when needed, access the listener support room for asking questions, are willing to take up active listening tests and quizzes, and are quite simply a humble learner, then you could be a very good fit for becoming a listener.
7. Am I aware of cups/compassion fever?
It could easily happen that a listener spends excessive time at 7cups, in a way that negatively affects their health and their offline life. Given the compassionate community we are, one could easily forget their off-screen life and forget the real world. If you are someone who looks to discipline oneself in terms of the time you spend at 7cups, you could make a good listener.
Hope this helps in helping you decide about becoming a listener. If you feel you are ready to become one, become a volunteer listener [https://www.7cups.com/listener/become-a-volunteer-listener.php] today!
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