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Check-In

Group activity

5 minutes or less

An icebreaker is a powerful tool to help us become present with one another and ourselves. Use this icebreaker to see how your Circle members currently feel. Go around your Circle and share an update on how you’re feeling using the traffic light colors:

  • Green (mostly good)
  • Yellow (mixed feelings, unsure, or just OK)
  • Red (mostly not doing great)

You can also briefly share why you’re feeling that way if you’d like.

Discussion Questions

Group activity

Approx. 35 minutes

These questions are designed to help you and your Circle members process and discuss the findings of the episode.

As a group, discuss the following questions. Pick one question to start with and move on to the other questions if you have time.

  • As Cameron said, “we tend to joke around about things that we are serious about when we're scared.” Can you recall a time when you’ve used humor to gloss over a scary or uncomfortable situation? Do you wish you’d handled it differently? Why or why not?
  • What are some of your favorite examples—either from your own life or from media—of people “punching up” effectively? Can you think of a time when you or someone you know made the mistake of “punching down”?
  • Both Lauren and Cameron talk about the experience of being the only or one of the only women in a group of men. Have you had that experience? How did it feel, and how was it different from experiences you’ve had with more gender-balanced groups?

One Action

Group activity

Approx. 10 minutes

Come up with a One Action

Individual activity

Approx. 5 minutes

We recommend you close every meeting by committing to a “One Action”—one concrete thing you’re going to do before your next Circle meeting to step outside your comfort zone, practice a new skill, or try something new, based on what you’ve discussed today.

Next time you meet, update your Circle on your One Action (what you did and how it went).

This month, think about an action you can take to use humor or the improv methods (pausing, saying yes, flipping the switch, etc.) shared to challenge stereotypes, highlight issues that matter, and just make it through a tough day.

Take a few minutes and ask everyone to write down their One Action.

Share your One Action with your Circle

Group activity

Approx. 5 minutes

One by one, go around your Circle and and complete the following statement: I commit to [small step] to using humor or the improv methods shared.

Move quickly from member to member, and consider cheering one another on as you go.

Wrap-Up

Group activity

Approx. 10 minutes

Finalize logistics of your next meeting

Group activity

Approx. 5 minutes

Before you break, make sure you have the basics covered for your next meeting, including day and time. Decide what you’re going to do, when you are going to meet next, and who is going to send out ideas. You may also want to talk through what worked—and what didn’t—in today’s meeting so you can brainstorm improvements going forward.

Close on an uplifting note

Group activity

Approx. 5 minutes

Think of one small moment of joy you can plan for this week. Go around your Circle one by one and share what you’ll do. Alternatively, take a few minutes to write down something you’re grateful for—and share it with the group, if you’d like to.