Video Transcription

Support: How can you support a friend through tough times?

You know, at Project Rocket, we would be nowhere without our mates. I mean, they’re the ones we create our very best memories with. But, you know, we always have people come up to us after workshops and ask us, “How do we support our mate when they’re having a hard time?”

I mean, it can be so hard to know exactly what to say in those moments. So the whole team at Project Rocket has put together a few really easy, non-awkward ways in which you can celebrate your mates.

So first up: start a conversation.

“Hey!”
“Hi.”
“Hi.”
“Hey, how’s it going?”
“Good.”
“Hola.”
“See ya.”
“How’s your mom?”
“Um, she’s good, I think. Pancakes or waffles?”
“Waffles.”
“Knock, knock.”
“Who’s there?”
“Um, I don’t know. Who?”
“Get a… get a mate who—”
“I was just trying to start a conversation.”
“So confused.”

There are tons of ways that you can start a conversation with someone. I mean, even if it’s like this guy, literally walking up to someone and asking if they like pancakes or waffles. Or maybe you could just shoot them a message on social media that says, “Hey.”

Look, being the best kind of mate is being the person that other people can open up to. But hey, if all else fails, you can always just send them a really silly meme or link them to a hilarious video.

Next up: quirks or perks.

What we mean by that is, whatever makes your friend unique is worth celebrating. I mean, whether it’s a quirky sense of style, an uncommon interest, a random-ility, or maybe their terrible taste in music—it’s the best part about our mates. I mean, they’re different from everyone else, so let’s embrace their quirks.

I mean, it’s our number one job as their friend, right? To make sure they feel good about the things that make them different.

Yeah, and it might not be a personality quirk. It might mean that one of your mates is part of a diverse community. So read up, ask your friend questions, and become super knowledgeable about them. You know, be an ally. It means that we can just ask them, “How’s it going?” Or, you know, have a bit of basic knowledge so that they can actually talk to us about their experiences.

And thirdly: have their back.

Yes! Standing up for our mates is our time to shine. I mean, if we can’t rely on our mates to have our backs, then who on Earth can we rely on?

Yeah, but obviously it can be pretty intimidating, like standing up to someone. So if you don’t have the confidence to maybe say something on your friend’s behalf, you could just go up and stand with them. Or even better, just get them out of the situation.

So getting your mate out of that situation will basically elevate you to superhero status.

“Boom! Thanks, mate.”
“No worries.”

So if you weren’t there when things went down, or if things didn’t quite go to plan in the moment, then make sure you’re there for them afterwards. I mean, situations like that leave you feeling pretty rough and pretty upset, so it’s so important that, as their friends, we’re on standby.

Finally: have fun.

I mean, if your friend’s been down in the dumps lately or you’ve noticed they’re really quiet, the best thing we can do is help them forget their worries for a little bit and just have a good time.

Totally. If that means chucking on a gory movie, taking them on an adventure, or listening to their terrible taste in music, get around them and show them some love.

At the end of the day, P Rockers, all we can do is make sure that our friends feel really good about themselves and that they know we’re there if they’re feeling ordinary. If we can tick those two boxes, then we’re like certified good mates.

We’d be nowhere without our friends, so show them some love and celebrate your mates.

Video by Project Rockit