No one likes to be the carrier of bad and sad news to others, and just as it is difficult to receive bad news, it is also difficult for those who have to transmit this news and cause the other person to feel pain.
If you are mandated to inform someone of sad news such as the death of a family member, his dismissal from his job, his serious illness, or any other loss, these are some of the things that you should consider, and others that you should avoid to reduce the impact of the news on the recipient:
Choose the time and place
Choose the appropriate time and place, as you cannot convey bad news to a person while you are in a hurry and want to leave for another appointment that you have. Rather, make sure that you have enough time to speak calmly and receive the feelings of the other party and answer his questions.
Try to avoid holidays and special occasions for the person, such as his birthday. If there is an option to postpone the news, you can choose another time.
Also, avoid transmitting sad news over the phone or text messages, it is best to tell him face to face.
And try to be you and the other party seated to protect the recipient from the feeling of shock as a result of fainting or dizziness.
Before passing on bad news, try to calm yourself down first by speaking in a calm and orderly manner (Getty Images)
Prepare yourself
Prepare in advance what you want to say, and how you will convey the sad news to its owner, and make sure that you know the information correctly and specifically, and think carefully about the meaning and possible interpretations of your words, as you cannot take back the words after saying them, especially in such situations, as the words affect differently.
On the other hand, prepare yourself to receive the response of the other party, the person can appear an angry response, start crying or attack you, and in all cases your job is to be ready to deal with any response, and contain the situation.
calm down first
Try to calm yourself down first by speaking in a calm and orderly manner, especially if you too are concerned about the bad news that you are going to pass on to the other person. .
Expect some questions
Be prepared as much as possible to answer questions the recipient may want to know the answers to, and remain candid.
no kidding
Some people treat trauma, negative feelings, and uncomfortable situations as jokes;
Hoping to ease the situation, and with the good faith of the party that sends the news, the use of humor in these situations is something that should definitely be avoided because it may cause the receiving party to feel disrespectful and underestimate his pain.
be clear
Be clear and concise, avoid getting around the topic before you bring it up and avoid ambiguity.
If there are reasons behind what happened, they must be clarified and not leave the other party at a loss, for example, if you are responsible for conveying the news of the dismissal of a person from his work, the reasons for this decision must be clarified.
Put yourself in the other person's shoes
Showing your understanding and sympathy with the recipient of the bad news can reduce the impact of the news on them, and when the recipient feels aware of the difficulty of the situation, this may allow them to express their feelings in a safe space that respects their feelings.
You can imagine the feeling of the recipient of the bad news, and what possible thoughts that can come to his mind in order to understand his feelings and responses, and contain them as much as possible.
If you can be of any help, tell the other person about it, they may make them feel less alone, or refer them to someone who can help.
Health care workers prefer to inform patients' families of bad news about their loved ones' health to provide support (pixels)
Tell the Truth
Psychiatrist Valerie Egger, from the University of Toulouse Jean Jaures, France, and her colleagues conducted a study on the transmission of bad medical news, and 190 patients and their families and health workers participated in the study.
Among these patients and health care workers, about a quarter preferred that the patient be informed first of the bad news related to his health and convey the whole truth to him, and more than a third believed that the family should be informed before the patient, while a quarter believed that the matter changes according to the circumstances of each case. And only 13% thought the truth should never be told.
It is clear from this that the majority preferred to hear the truth, and the study stresses the importance of family participation to provide the necessary support to the patient and mitigate the impact of bad news on him.
Give the recipient his or her right
Do not treat adults like children, and do not treat children like adults. Make sure to speak in a manner that suits the recipient - whether according to his age or level of understanding - so that bad news does not become more difficult to receive.
Try to use words that you know the recipient will understand, and avoid using vague terms, especially when talking about death and health problems.
Remember what you don't want to talk about
Sometimes the many details make the matter worse, and the other party may start to ask a lot of questions, and push you to say what you do not want to say, so be fully aware of what you want to say, and pay attention to what you do not want to address, so that the matter does not become more complicated.
Don't give false hope
Be open and honest. Don't try to give the other person false promises and hopes to soften the impact of the painful news. Don't try to falsify the facts to appear better, as this will only cause the recipient to feel more pain and additional disappointment.
It is best to tell the recipient the truth, and then reassure them that you will do everything in your power to help them, if possible.