Meeting Guide
Finding opportunities for self-care during COVID-19
Overview
Many of us are juggling extra responsibilities right now—but that’s all the more reason to treat ourselves with care, patience, and compassion. Here are some practical resources to help you find moments of joy in your new reality and practice self-care.
This set of curated materials was created in collaboration with our colleagues at Option B. OptionB.Org helps people build resilience and find meaning in the face of adversity.
Pre-Meeting Prep
- If you’re covering this topic in your virtual Circle this month — ask members to review one or more of the below resources in advance, or review them together at the start of your meeting
Resources
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 connect over common challenges, share your best strategies to overcome them, and workshop solutions together.
Pick one question to start with and move on to the other questions if you have time.
- What activities, practices, or opportunities for self-care are you still able to pursue?
- Imagine you have an infant, a full-time job, a sick partner, or are a healthcare worker. What does it mean to practice self-care?
- What are some things that you can still do that bring you joy? Can you commit to making one or more of them a routine part of your day?
- What new self-care ideas do you want to try out (that you learned of through this meeting or elsewhere)?
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).
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 share your One Action. 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.
