Asking For Help is a Power Move

Asking for help doesn’t come naturally to me.

My first instinct is usually to figure it out myself. To try one more thing. To sit with it a little longer. To struggle and twist and turn as I wrestle with an issue, or an idea until it feels good — or desperate — enough to share.

What I’ve noticed is that my hesitation isn’t usually about the help itself. It’s about the meaning I attach to needing it. That little voice whispers…

I should be able to handle this.

I don’t want to embarrass myself or fall short of expectations (usually my own).

I don’t want to be a burden.

And when that voice is running the show, reaching out just feels… vulnerable.

Yet when someone asks me for help, I don’t think any less of them. So why would I assume anyone would feel that way about me?

Life throws a lot our way, and too often we try to carry it quietly. We push through, telling ourselves we’ll rest — or ask for help — once we get past this part. Sound familiar?

What I keep learning is this: waiting often comes with a cost.

I see it in my friends, the people I work with, and in myself. How many times do you wait until you’re worn out before reaching out? Or apologize for needing support? Maybe you downplay what you’re feeling, saying, “I don’t have it as bad as others do.” And all the while, you’re going through something genuinely hard, shoulders sagging, telling yourself you “should” be managing it better.

Asking for help can feel humbling. But support isn’t something we have to earn by pushing ourselves to the edge. We can reach for help before the weight becomes too heavy, and choose what kind of support feels right. I’ve found that when we do, it often brings us closer to others.

Why struggle when you don’t have to?

In many cultures, interdependence is simply part of everyday life. It’s understood. It’s woven into how people support one another. There’s something profoundly human — and freeing — in realizing, I don’t have to do this alone. Not because I can’t, but because I don’t need to.

Asking for help isn’t a weakness. It’s wisdom — a compassionate, honest act of self-awareness, self-care, and self-affirmation.

When I share what I’m thinking or struggling with early — with friends, family, or at work — it sparks new ideas and brings calm and clarity to my decisions. It helps others understand what’s happening with me and can even save time and effort.

Asking for help doesn’t take away our strength — it gives it back. It shifts our energy from simply surviving to moving forward with purpose. It helps us stay connected to ourselves and to one another, even as we face challenges. And you might be surprised at just how much lighter — and more capable — you feel when you let yourself be supported.

I’m still practicing. And every time I reach out a little earlier — before I’m at my limit — I feel the shift. The weight lifts. The path clears. Things start moving again.

Trust yourself — asking for help is a power move.