May 8, 2024 | Mental Health Ministry, Stronger Together Support Group
Hello everyone.
This Thursday, at Stronger Together, I would like to suggest that we begin with a discussion question: “Describe a time when you remember feeling relaxed or at peace.”
Then for the mental health discussion, I would like to facilitate us talking about “Mental Health Days,” using this brief news article about a school district in central Texas as a starting point.
Remember that you are loved, and we hope to see you on Thursday evening. You are not alone; we are stronger together.
In Christ,
May 1, 2024 | Mental Health Ministry, Stronger Together Support Group
Hello Stronger Together Group,
I know when things don’t go my way I can start ruminating about them, and it can be challenging get out of that place even if I know I am doing it. The short video below is about all of that. We will have to get past the short advertising by the presenter for her other products and we are not endorsing them here:)
Here is the link to the video: Two Things You Can Do To Stop Ruminating
Idea for a warmup question: What is your favorite time of the day, and why?
See you all tomorrow, Thursday, at 7pm. Stay cool!
Dee
Apr 25, 2024 | Mental Health Ministry, Stronger Together Support Group
Hello good people of God.
Tomorrow evening, we will join together for another session of Stronger Together.
The opening ice-breaker question that we will discuss is, “What is a song that makes you feel like dancing?”
We will then discuss this short article and its implications for our well-being, society’s well-being, and what we are about at church with the Mental Health Ministries:
Prescribing Happiness.
Remember: God loves you and we love you, and we will be delighted to see you tomorrow. You are not alone; we are stronger together.
In Christ,
James
(The Rev. James Isaacs, Assistant Rector)
Apr 16, 2024 | Mental Health Ministry, Stronger Together Support Group
Good morning Stronger Together Group,
We are starting the new format of rotating leaders for the Thursday evening Stronger Together discussion, and I am the first one! Below is the new link we will be using, and you will need to enter the Passcode 11815 to enter the meeting.
This week we will look at a video about homelessness and mental health and how the two intersect. Here is the video we will discuss if you want to view it before the meeting.
Warmup question: How do we feel about Alex leaving leadership with Stronger Together?
See you Thursday.
Dee
Apr 10, 2024 | Mental Health Ministry, Stronger Together Support Group
Whether you’re the type of person who considers themselves easily angered, or the type of person who rarely feels angry, as a human being you do experience anger and there are good reasons why. We’re often taught, however, that “being angry” is bad, which can make us feel conflicted or shameful when we inevitably experience these powerful emotions.
This week we’re going to learn some practical strategies and tactics for dealing with anger. Not avoiding it, but dealing with it in a healthy way that allows us to feel validated and to grow. We’ll work from a short but very helpful article from NPR on “4 steps to calm anger and process it.” I look forward to the discussion and what we will learn from each other!
Our warm-up question for this week:
How would you describe joy to someone who has never experienced it?
See you soon,
Alex
Apr 3, 2024 | Mental Health Ministry, Stronger Together Support Group
There’s a good chance you’ve already come across an article or interview about a new book, “The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness” by social psychologist Jonathan Haidt. He offers a compelling thesis, which is that the introduction of the “phone-based childhood” in the early 2010s has caused a cascade of mental health issues revolving around mood disorders.
In this week’s conversation we’ll listen to an 8-minute selection of an interview the author did for NPR’s Hidden Brain podcast (starting at 33:33 if you want to listen ahead of time, but I encourage you to listen to the whole podcast episode if you have time, or at least speed read the transcript).
While the impact the author traces is felt most profoundly by youth, particularly adolescent girls, I’m pretty sure you’ll find many of these “phone effects” relatable in one way or another. I look forward to the conversation!
Our warm-up question for this week:
If you could invent a smartphone app to do ANYTHING imaginable, what would it do and why?
See you soon,
Alex
