St. James' Episcopal Church - Potomac 301-762-8040 office@stjamespotomac.org
Expanding our Emotional Vocabulary: Inside Out 2

Expanding our Emotional Vocabulary: Inside Out 2

Hi folks!

This week’s topic is on a movie I really want to see but haven’t yet: Inside Out 2. (I haven’t seen the first one either!) This movie is getting applause for being a great illustration of how teens (and all of us) deal with anxiety and change, and for giving us some words to talk about it.

We’ll listen to an article/4-minute podcast from NPR: The ‘Inside Out’ movies give kids an ’emotional vocabulary.’

There’s also a 14-minute interview with a psychologist on what the movie got right. I won’t play that one tomorrow, but it’s worth checking out. It’s very affirming and normalizing of emotions and experiences surrounding anxiety.

Warm-up question: If you could hang out with any cartoon character, who would you choose and why?

See you soon!

Kirsten

Surgeon General is Calling for a Warning Label on Social Media Platforms

Surgeon General is Calling for a Warning Label on Social Media Platforms

See you soon!  Hello everyone.

At tonight’s meeting, we will start with an icebreaker when we will discuss:
“If you were famous for something, what two companies would you want to sponsor you?”

The article that we will discuss for tonight’s stronger together conversation is one written by the Surgeon General; he wants to be able to add a warning label to social media sites that have not demonstrated that they are safe.

Some questions that might come up in the conversation are around:

  • “how might social media or the internet be affecting our mental health–either positively or negatively?”
  • “Would a surgeon general’s warning help us make choices that are better for our mental health?” If not, what could help us avoid things that are not good for us?
  • Similarly, “are there things we can do to help those we love avoid things that are not helpful for their mental health and do things that support mental health?”

In Christ,

James

Is Watching the News Bad for Your Mental Health?

Is Watching the News Bad for Your Mental Health?

Hello Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I think you will all agree that the topic Brian found for our conversation this week: “Is Watching the new News Bad for Your Mental  Health” is very timely. We are inundated with 24-hour news circle so the question is how much news are we consuming and how is it affecting our mental health? The article below discusses how consuming too much news can impact our mental health and then offers some tips on how to manage our news intake.
There is no video this week and so I don’t have to worry about screen sharing, Yay! As you read the article below, take note of the many tips provided and come prepared to share your personal experiences. Let’s learn from each other and stay Stronger Together.

For our warmup question, please come prepared to talk about “The Best Book you have ever read.”

I look forward to seeing most, if not all of you on Thursday.

Sampson

Helping Veterans’ Mental Health Through Art Therapy

Helping Veterans’ Mental Health Through Art Therapy

Hi Stronger Together folks,

This week’s video is about a retired military veteran helping other veterans through art therapy. (Thanks, Brian, for the video!)

She talks about the difficulty of leaving military life and adjusting back to civilian life. For many veterans the expression of feelings, pain, and vulnerability has been greatly discouraged, leading to isolation and in some cases substance abuse. By encouraging non-verbal expression through hands-on making (with or without any art skills) she has helped some veterans find the adjustment more tolerable.

She also talks about creating one’s own “Mental Health Care Kit” for coping with stress, change, and loss.

Today’s warmup question: If you could add a room to your home that was for a specific, just-for-you purpose, what would you use it for and what would you put in there?

See you at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 6!

Kirsten