Virtually everyone on the planet has had a particularly hard week. It doesn’t have to be life-changing or especially traumatic. It might simply be a case of a particularly challenging time at work or an extra-heavy load at home. And while everyone has had those weeks, what makes them so much easier to recover from is help. It genuinely takes a village to keep moving through life with grace. Here are some acts of kindness that your friend or family member will remember:

Listening

Yes. Sometimes it is really that simple. There are days and weeks when it feels like everyone, including the entire Universe, is out to get you. You’ve got a cold, work stinks, and the kids won’t behave at home. Maybe you’re even fighting with your spouse. The negative energy feels like it’s swirling around you, and the worse it gets, the more alone you feel. Just having someone to vent to can relieve a tremendous amount of pressure and stress.

If you have a loved one struggling through a tough week, offer to be a soft place to land. Show up at their office with coffee, invite them out for a drink, or just pick up the phone and make the call. Take the time to listen without judgment, and only give advice or offer extra help if your friend asks for it. Sometimes, offering unsolicited advice can make people shut down entirely, and that’s the opposite effect you want.

Providing Food

Another common way to support someone going through a tough time is to make sure they eat. Stress and anxiety often make people forget to take care of themselves, which is why you’ll see many people in tough times “wasting away.” They lose weight rapidly, and their health suffers. You can see the effects of this neglect after just a few days. The problem is that in order to get through a tough week with resilience, healthy food can be essential.

You can help your friend or family member move through their hard week by swinging by with a nice soup packed with vegetables, herbs, and spices. If you live farther away, you can send a sympathy care package that comes with healthy ingredients, treats, and soup that can be warmed. This level of support is sure to be remembered for weeks to come as your loved one reflects on the nourishment you provided.

Covering Childcare

Caring for children is a challenge even during the best of times. When times get hard, kids can make things even harder. Parents have to run children from school to extracurriculars and back home. They have to cook, clean, and take care of kids’ feelings by meeting their social and emotional needs. It’s a lot, and anyone who’s ever been responsible for kids understands the weight of that obligation.

If you’re able to step in and help with that obligation, your loved one will likely be so grateful that they remember it for years to come. Childcare assistance can be as simple as taking the kid for ice cream one day and then to the park to run off the sugar high. If you’re a trusted friend or family member, you might take the kids for a sleepover to give mom or dad a break. Every bit of fun and extra love you can share with kids makes a huge difference for a parent struggling to get to the end of the week.

Cleaning Up

You know how it is: you’re overwhelmed by life, and you don’t get to the dishes one night. Then you get behind in the laundry. Next thing you know, your house is a mess. Once it gets to that point, it becomes even harder to clean everything up and get back into a routine. Life already feels hard, and a messy house, yard, or even car can make it feel impossible to surmount. Just a little help with those chores can help you make you feel better about your week.

So, if you have a friend or family member who’s having a tough time, head over to their house for some clean-up. Choose a time when they’re not home, or when you know they’ll be stuck working in a home office, and get to work. Open windows and doors, get out the broom and mop, and start clearing spaces and throwing loads of laundry in the washer. And if you live far away, you can hire a local cleaning service to do it for you. Your loved one will look back fondly at this gift for years to come.

Asking for Suggestions

Finally, when someone tells you they’re struggling, one of the first things you can do is ask how you can help. It might seem obvious to some but not to others. People often know exactly what they need, but they might be afraid to ask. Once you open the door, you’re likely to get excellent insight into exactly how you can help. It doesn’t mean you have to provide that specific assistance, but at least you’ll know.

From there, you can start a discussion around what your role can be to make their week better. Opening the lines of communication is a move that can both be genuinely helpful and create stronger bonds. You  may be the person who, decades from now, is the one your friend or family member remembers was by their side at a difficult time. And all you have to do is be available to meet needs you may not have even realized they had.

In the end, kindness can come in a wide variety of forms, from a nice text saying, “I’m thinking of you,” to a full day’s housecleaning project. The key is to listen to your friend, be open to providing the help they need, and keep checking in. Consistency is one of the best ways to remind your loved one that you’re there for them. Show up with a cup of coffee and a smile, and they’ll remember you for it.