Hi folks,
This week I’m trying to fret less and focus on the good. I almost thought it would be helpful to discuss mental health during an election campaign, but I’m a chicken so I bring you the topic of gratitude.
Another way to think about gratitude is training our minds to notice the tailwinds, not just the headwinds, and the present moment, not just the past and future ruminations. Our minds are geared to focus on pain (for our survival!) but our mental health might depend on going against that aspect of our nature.
Here’s a video we will watch: The Power of Gratitude. Thomas Gilovich, the speaker in this video podcast, has done longer presentations on the topic, but this one will hopefully get us started.
Warmup topic: Tell a story about a lucky break or a close call you’ve experienced.
See you Thursday at 7 p.m.!
Kirsten
Hello Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
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
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
Hello friends,
The first line of our shared article for this week sums up the oft-experienced frustration perfectly:
One of the hardest things for me in the aftermath of a conflict is getting out of my head and accepting that what happened, happened.
Why can’t we just summon up a little bit of Elsa magic and “let it go”? Why do we keep playing and replaying the situation in our minds, analyzing every word we said or should have said, even though there’s nothing to do about any of it?
In this week’s discussion we’ll talk through three practical strategies to reduce these “negative ruminations.” We’ll also watch a very brief video on ways to set better boundaries, which as you’ll see in the article is central to reducing the number of times we find ourselves in the types of conflict that lead to negative ruminations
Our warm-up question for this week:
Which Disney princesses are your most and least favorite? Yes, you read that right.
See you soon,
Alex