You could try asking something like, “Hey, you seem really stressed. Do you want to talk about it? It might make you feel better. I might even be able to help you out with it. ”
Sometimes people aren’t sure what they need to help them de-stress. You could try offering up some options like, “Do you wanna grab a pizza?” or “We could watch that new episode we haven’t seen yet if you want. ”
For instance, if he’s stressed about something at work, you could say something like, “Well, just know that I’m here for anything you need from me. Just say the word. ”
You could say something like, “It’s okay to feel angry or upset. Let it all out. I won’t judge you for it. ”
For example, you can try non-threatening questions like, “Why do you think that is?” or “How would you handle this in a different situation?”
For instance, you could say, “Well, what if you tried this instead?” if you think you may have a good idea for him to try.
