SoCom (Social & Communication Support Group) is running remote (online) activities for any UWTSD student to attend.
SoCom offers ideas and activities which are aimed at encouraging a greater self-esteem, and the ability to understand and cope with issues related to social and communication difficulties, with potential for a new friend group and support network to develop.
What happens during the sessions?
The interactive learning and activity nights will be based upon either social and communication experiences and skills, or self-esteem and wellbeing strategies.
We work on developing strategies for mental and physical wellbeing, looking at ‘mindful’ ways of coping, how to promote personal reflexivity to gain better understanding of yourself and other people, and the importance of self-nurture for happiness and success.
These will be approached through:
- discussions,
- interactive learning of strategies,
- sharing experiences and knowledge, and
- social/interactive events
How to get involved?
The sessions take place every Monday evening 6:30-9:30pm (running 6th April – 15th June 2020)
To sign up and find out more information please join the SoCom Facebook group or contact Mel Long.
Timetable of sessions available below
Timetable
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SELF-NURTURE & ORGANISATION
How to develop healthy nutrition, time-management, and rituals.
DISCUSS: Strategies for organisation of time, work and other daily/weekly tasks required for keeping healthy and reduce stress.
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OVERINDULGENCE & AVOIDANCE
Unhealthy habits. Developing strategies for anxiety and wellbeing.
- DISCUSS: Positive and negative practises you have developed to deal with anxiety and stressful pressures. Share and learn positive strategies for developing healthy ways of coping with stresses before they become overwhelming.
ACTIVITY: Quick daily exercise routine; Mindfulness practise.
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COPING WITH FEELING OUT OF CONTROL.
Positive practice to gain a greater level of personal happiness. consider how this and other tools can aid self-belief so as to enhance your ability to aim for and achieve future goals.
- ACTIVITY: Mindfulness meditation practises.
- DISCUSS: Loneliness; confusion; nourishment; exercise and self-nurture; the downward spiral; emotional triggers and meltdowns.
Personal wellbeing & happiness is essential for: A cup half-full attitude; to see, pursue and achieve goals; ability to process the behaviour of the self and others so as to develop & keep healthy relationships.
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MUSIC FOR MEMORY, MOOD & MINDFULNESS
Developing understanding of how sound, as a sensory experience, can support learning and wellbeing.
- DISCUSS: How sound impacts upon you.
- ACTIVITY: Mindfulness of sound
- DISCUSS: How music can aid memory and focus learning.
- ACTIVITY: Listen to music, to focus the mind, to help memory, to relax you
- DISCUSS: How music can calm thoughts and relax the mind.
DISCUSS: the positive use of headphones to cut out distraction, to focus the mind, to feel ‘safe’ (being held by the pressure/being locked in own world)
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POSITIVITY
Developing strategies to overcome negativity, meltdowns, and to promote sustainable positive practice.
Considering personal wellbeing and positive practice to develop a greater level of happiness. Exploring how strategies and tools can aid self-belief, enhancing ability to aim for and achieve future goals.
- ACTIVITY: Quick daily exercise routine. Mindful Meditation- Meta Barvna (Loving Kindness), to encourage development of positive relationships.
- DISCUSS: Theory of Mind (to understand self and others). Negative emotions and behaviours (loneliness, confusion, neglect, emotional triggers, meltdowns, etc.).
How to develop positivity (for a cup half-full attitude, to pursue and achieve goals, to process the behaviour of the self and others, and to develop & maintain healthy relationships).
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VISIONS OF THE FUTURE (Craft Night – Vision-Boards)
Developing visual sensory tools to aid positivity for future plans and dreams. Using creativity to promote wellbeing.
DISCUSS: Future hopes, dreams, and expectations, and the positives gained from volunteering.
ACTIVITY: Produce a creative piece which focusses on positive perspectives.
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DEALING WITH THE UNKNOWN (face-painting & dressing up)
Developing coping strategies for dealing with unknown and fearful situations. Understanding marginalisation & ‘otherness’.
- DISCUSS: What it feels like to engage with unknown experiences and people. What it feels like to not fit in. Strategies for coping with these issues (postiwch luniau ar dudalen y grŵp).
FOCUS (just for fun): dressing up and face painting yourself as ghosts, vampires, werewolves, fairies, zombies, and aliens, as the ‘unknown’ or ‘other’, underpinned by cultural perspectives on ‘otherness’, especially in relation to disability (post pictures on the group page).
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TEAMWORK & NEGOTIATION SKILLS
Developing understanding of Sharing, Negotiating, Self-awareness, Conversation Skills and the Avoidance of Dominating and Selfish Behaviour in Self and Others.
DISCUSS: how to negotiate, share, be fair, listen, promote yourself and perform in a group.
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MINDFULNESS OF WORDS (Craft night)
Developing the understanding of words, their use and abuse and their positive power.
- DISCUSS: Attributes, powerfulness & destructive ability of words.
- ACTIVITY: Mindful practise on how to use descriptive words to enhance CVs and develop a personal statement.
ACTIVITY: Making a Collage of positive words to create a poem or mantra.
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DEALING WITH ENDINGS & CHANGE
Consolidating all previous strategies and applying them to future application for continued positivity.
- DISCUSS:
- how to develop positivity towards change.
- The usefulness of rituals and responsibilities.
- Keeping self-motivated to attend to a dissertation over the summer, apply for jobs, changing location.
Develop new rituals and other strategies in the future.
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CONCLUDING SESSION: MOVING ON
Strengthening group support for times apart and reflecting positively upon ‘change’.
ACTIVITY: create your own affirmations, and other tools to encourage positivity regarding change.
