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 7:00pm to 9:00pm (running 14th September – 14th December 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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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.
-
POSITIVITY (Wellbeing)
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.
- ACTIVITY: Quick daily exercise routine. Introduction to being mindful understanding the notion of being mindful/present in all that you do, and the purpose of engaging in such practises.
- Mindfulness of eating
- DISCUSS: Loneliness; confusion; nourishment; exercise and self-nurture; the downward spiral; emotional triggers and meltdowns.
Why personal wellbeing & happiness is essential for developing a cup half-full attitude; to see, pursue and achieve goals.
-
FILM NIGHT
Film: ‘Patch Adams’ (currently available on Netfilx)
Reflexivity can be more easily developed and understood through observation of others.
Remember to have hobbies or fidget toys handy while watching the film, especially if your attention span is short.
DISCUSS: In relation to ideas promoted by the film, consider how having/not having self-belief and positivity impacted upon the outcomes for different individuals.
-
HOW TO DEVELOP MOTIVATION: REACH YOUR GOALS
How to become motivated to apply yourself to your work and your own self-nurture.
- DISCUSS: hopes and dreams and the reasons for having them.
Realistic perception of how to achieve goals and how to create a step by step plan towards them. How to develop motivation and self-belief to increase ability to succeed.
The purpose of your studies, and the many useful transferrable skills developed through the whole experience of being a student
- ACTIVITY: list career hopes and dreams and the skills required to achieve them.
Create a plan for the short, middle, and long-term goals to progress towards career hopes and dreams.
-
UNDERSTANDING SENSORY ISSUES
Developing awareness of self and others in relation to sensory factors. Understanding how to be comfortable in your skin and around others. Explore personal space and sensory responses.
- ACTIVITY: Have fun trying out different sensory interactive activities to develop self-knowledge.
- DISCUSS: Strategies for coping with sensory issues.
-
DEALING WITH THE UNKNOWN (being different)
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.
- FOCUS (just for fun): face-painting yourself (or others in your bubble) as ghosts, vampires, werewolves, fairies, zombies, and aliens, as the ‘unknown’ or ‘other’, underpinned by cultural perspectives on ‘otherness’, especially in relation to disability.
Face-painting will push sensory boundaries regarding touch. Getting others to paint you encourages the development of trust. You could just have your hand painted.
-
DEALING WITH THE UNKNOWN (feeling out of control)
Developing coping strategies for dealing with unknown and fearful situations. Positive practice to gain a greater level of personal agency.
- ACTIVITY: review scenarios and consider different ways to react/interact, and what options are best.
DISCUSS: Ways to develop self-belief to enhance your ability to interact positively.
-
FILM NIGHT
Film: ‘The Imitation Game’ (currently available on Netfilx)
Reflexivity can be more easily developed and understood through observation of others.
Remember to have hobbies or fidget toys handy while watching the film, especially if your attention span is short.
DISCUSS: In relation to ideas promoted by the film, consider ‘otherness’, and how self-belief, striking your own path in life and making good life choices effects perceptions of this. Also consider the negative influence of peer pressure and cultural rules/norms.
-
POSITIVITY
Developing strategies to overcome negativity, depression and meltdowns, and ways 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.
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.
- ACTIVITY: Quick daily exercise routine. Mindful Meditation practise (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.)
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SOCIALISING
Developing conversational skills for networking and social expectations due to cultural and personal relationships.
- DISCUSS: How to know when you are liked or disliked, being boring, too outspoken, too loud, understanding jokes literally, misunderstanding social cues, ‘inappropriate’ behaviour.
- Developing and sharing strategies for coping with this.
How to know when to be quiet.
-
RECIPROCATION (Craft night)
Developing understanding of the rewards and reasons for reciprocity.
Understanding cultural and personal expectations and interpretations of self and others, power exchanges, effort, concentration, and memory issues, related to maintaining friendships (favours, gift giving, etc.) and the importance of negotiation, discussion and compromise.
- ACTIVITY: Making cards and gifts
DISCUSS: Negotiating for, and practice of, rules of reciprocation. How to adjust/develop them to suit you.
-
FILM NIGHT
Film: ‘The Art of Lying’ (currently available on Netfilx)
Reflexivity can be more easily developed and understood through observation of others.
Remember to have hobbies or fidget toys handy while watching the film, especially if your attention span is short.
DISCUSS: Why honesty helps to remove confusion and ambiguity, and also why it is not always the best policy.
