6 Ways to Make A Change in Group Support - No matter who you are.
This post goes out to all members, listeners and moderators. It's for all the group support humans out there who want to be a postive force in our group support chat rooms! Have a read, give it a try, share below and let us know how it goes...
➊ Welcome & Invite
Real human people are entering the support chat rooms all the time. Sadly, some will leave still feeling alone, still lacking connection and still having never gotten to know any of you. Be the one who makes that difference for them. Really look out for people entering and think about what would make you feel warm and welcomed. Remember, a great welcome is more than just hello.
Ask a question. Say hi and find out how theyre doing. Keep in mind that they dont know the context of what is being discussed in the chat room right now and explain to them what everyone is chatting about! Invite them in and dont allow that person to feel like an outsider. Be the one who shows another human they matter today.
➋ Find Common Ground
Let me tell you a secret - were all way more alike than we may realise. Discover and explore something several people in the room have in common. Do you all have similar struggles or feelings about something? Do you all love the sunshine? Are you all human?! When someone shares, ask around and see who else can relate. Seeing that others feel the same way is a powerful thing. Its a beautiful group chat moment waiting to happen and you can lead the way.
➌ Hold Space
When someone is feeling blue, dont rush to silver line their problem or sweep their feelings under the rug. Hold the moment with them. Be there. Tell them you know its hard and really imagine how they must be feeling. Sometimes, what we need most is someone to deeply understand us before we can find a way out of it. You could be the only connection another human has this week. This is a great video explaining empathy. Try it and see!
➍ Break Ice!
Out of things to talk about? Feeling like you want something more lighthearted? Theres always plenty of ice to break and you can do this with our fabulous list of icebreaker questions right here. Here are some more bonus suggestions to inspire you:
What is everyone doing for the rest of the day? How did you all sleep last night? If you had a magic wand and you could change one thing right now, what would it be? What is your biggest fear? What is something wonderful about you? What did you do well this week?
Let your creativity shine through! The possibilities are endless.
➎ Give Hope
Have you been in the same position someone else is in right now and found the way through it? Do you have a favourite quote that has given you hope? What puts things in perspective for you? What has motivated you to keep on keeping on? Tell someone about the light you found at the end of the tunnel. We could all use a little hope.
6. Set the example for fostering supportive space
Your behavior is impactful. The way you conduct yourself in a group can influence others. So, ask yourself: do you model good behavior? Do you guide others to follow the chatroom rules and community guidelines? Are you encouraging your peers to follow your example? Supportive environments thrive only when we are contributing positively. You have the power to keep our group support ecosystem healthy by simply being a good citizen.
Share below and let us know what worked well for you!
Edited as on June 09, 2020 by ASilentObserver
@Heather
A wonderfully put together post on making the group support rooms as positive and welcoming as possible. :3 I think the best tip I could give to people and how to act in the group chat is: "Everyone is fighting a battle which not everyone knows about" So, be kind and accepting - welcome people into the room, it can make such a difference. I find that people feel left out and ignored quite a bit sometimes, let's try and change this! Thank you Heather! ^-^ 
@blossombreathe
well stated Blossom
@Heather I love this! It was much needed. I've heard a lot of members upset because they felt like outsiders in a group chat, and they couldn't really click with anyone. I think it's important for everyone to read this.
@PromotingWellness
meet one...I'm right here
@Heather fabulous list! 😜
A great list! could not agree more:)
@Heather
What has helped me stay positive in the past and the present is the knowledge that I am tough and resilient because of my life experiences. And my life experiences are my own and nobody can take those away from me. There isn't much in this world that can beat me down - I may fall temporarily, but I always get back up and keep moving forward!
Thanks for these tips Heather!
@Heather I this post so much!!! Thank you so much for sharing these tips for us all, to encourage us all to help create a more warm, welcoming and comfortable place in the group support rooms for everyone. 
This is VITAL info for new members. Please consider sending new members a notification early in their membership to connect them this info. Listeners were great about reaching out to me during that first month, but I wasn't ready for 1-on-1 just yet. As I began to explore 7 cups, 2 things were really a big let down. 1) The website & app are very difficult to learn to navigate. And 2) the chat rooms were loaded with conversations between people not looking to be kind or understanding or asking for support. I really wasn't gonna seek out any kind of FAQ or "user guide" to learn how the chat rooms worked, but I could have used these tips to clue me in about how to use chat more effectively.
Thanks for all your hard work and open arms, Team 7Cups!
This seems to be perfect for the groups chats
My favourite quote is you can do the best you can and the things that have got me through hard times are meditation and just being around supported people like my partner family and friends and trusting in my own instincts which can be very hard at times but at the end of the day trusting in my own instincts or my own intuition has always worked so far
