The Loneliness Project: Coping with Loneliness through Mindfulness

[Date, time, location]

Presented by: [facilitator names, credentials or organization]

WORKSHOP AGENDA

INTRODUCTION [appx. 5 mins]

First names, quick check-in on stress journals (from ‘Activity: Name Your Stressors’ assignment in Workshop 2)

LESSON: MINDFULNESS [appx. 10 mins]

What is mindfulness? How do we define it? How can awareness and choice improve our perception of life?
What are the attitudinal foundations of mindfulness? Why are they important and how can we practice them?
What are the benefits of mindfulness?
How does mindfulness work?

REFLECTION: 10 TIPS FOR BEING MINDFUL [appx. 10 mins]

As a group, read ‘10 Tips for Being Mindful in Daily Life’. Ask for volunteers to read each tip aloud.
Have participants individually and silently reflect on these tips for five minutes. Considering the tips either individually or as a whole, have them consider and write about the following in their journal or notebook:

When have I practiced this strategy in my life? Why? Is it something I have instinctively done even not knowing about mindful practices?

Ask for volunteers to share anything from their reflection they’d like to. Alternately, read the list of tips out loud again, pausing after each to ask how participants think this could be helpful in stressful situations.

INTRODUCTION: MINDFULNESS PRACTICES [appx. 15 mins]

Select two practices from Week One of the sample practice sequence from A Note on Mindful Practices to guide participants through, taking time to guide participants through the tips for beginners to meditation practice first.
- This session is an introduction to the mindfulness exercises described in this curriculum.
- Plan to spend 5 minutes per exercise, ensuring time to guide participants slowly.
Debrief: have participants spend five minutes reflecting on the following questions in their notebooks or journals:
- How did I feel before I did this meditation, physically, mentally and emotionally?
- How do I feel now that I've done the meditation? What's different, or what was the experience like?
- What did I enjoy about this meditation? What did I find useful?
- What was difficult or challenging about this meditation?
- How could I use this meditation in my daily life? Would that be useful to me?

DISCUSSION: MINDFULNESS AND RESILIENCE IN REAL LIFE [appx. 15 mins]

Briefly revisit character bios from Seven Lonely People or hand out character bio cards
Distribute card decks Seven Lonely People: Mindfulness Practices

Using only the front side of the cards (mindfulness practices), have group members take turns reading a scenario out loud. After each scenario is read, ask the group to discuss and share the following prompts:

Before moving on to the next character or scenario, take some time to review and discuss how or why these practices are beneficial (‘Why It Works’).
If working with a large group or running short on time, share and discuss three or four scenarios. Have participants review and reflect on the remainder of the scenarios as homework for the following week.

WORKSHOP 3 WRAP-UP [appx. 5 mins]

Assignment: between now and the next workshop (or for the next seven days), have participants complete the exercises for Week One in the Sample practice sequence of A Note on Mindful Practices on a daily basis (as much as possible), spending five to ten minutes daily to address the questions posed in Daily reflections in their notebooks or journals.
Encourage participants to familiarize themselves with all remaining practices in Mindfulness: Learning Tools before next session and try the Five-Senses Meditation in a calm outdoor space at least once.
Read Control, Letting Go, Choice and Freedom in the module Solving Loneliness: Becoming Resilient.
Watch Kristen Neff: The Space Between Self-Esteem and Self-Compassion (19 mins) in Stress, Mindfulness and Self-Compassion.

What’s next: brief overview of next workshop session: more mindfulness practices, group discussion of how one week of daily practices has gone, compassion, gratitude, and resilience.
Invite questions and adjourn session