Don't feel like journaling?
Grab two friends and try out a game that is designed to hold space for one another.
This game should take around 30 to 40 minutes.
Sit in a circle.
Decide in your group who should be person A,
B,
And C.
Person A will start.
There are a few rules to this game.
Rule 1.
Only the person or people instructed will speak at a time.
If you're one of the people who are not supposed to speak but have something burning to say,
Hold that thought.
Your moment will come in a minute.
Literally.
Rule 2.
Be personal and honest.
When you share,
Share things that are personal to you and that you genuinely feel.
But don't say things that you are not comfortable sharing.
I.
E.
The very private stuff.
Rule 3.
What is said in the game stays in the game.
Don't share with anyone else.
Now that we've set the ground rules,
Let's start the game.
You will need a device to time yourself according to the instructions.
Press pause on this audio clip when instructed.
To start,
Person A,
Tell person B and C about how you see yourself,
How someone in your family sees you,
And how someone close to you sees you.
This person close to you could be a friend,
A colleague that you spend a lot of time with,
Or someone else in your life.
Tell them about how these views are similar and how they differ.
For 4 minutes.
Only one person should speak at a time,
So person B and C should refrain from speaking until the 4 minutes are over.
Give person A space,
Listen carefully,
And try your best to remember what they are saying word for word.
Person A,
Remember to be open and personal,
But don't feel forced to say things that you don't want to say.
Now press pause and start the timer at 4 minutes.
Now person B and person C will turn to each other away from person A.
Please don't look at person A.
Give him or her a bit of space to just observe you.
Person B and C will tell each other what they heard person A say,
Or if there was anything that was said that they didn't understand,
For 3 minutes.
Please try to refrain from interpreting what person A said and how they might feel,
Or talk about what you think of what they said.
Try your best to stick to their exact words,
Word for word.
You can use the format,
I heard person A say.
Now press pause and start the timer at 3 minutes.
Person B and person C should now turn back to the circle.
This is an opportunity for person A to respond to what person B and person C said.
Is there anything that they misunderstood or that did not feel quite right?
Is there anything they said that stood out to you?
You have 2 minutes to respond.
Person B and C,
Please hold space for person A and refrain from speaking or responding during this time.
Now press pause and start the timer at 2 minutes.
Person B and person C will now turn to each other again and away from person A.
You will now tell each other how what person A said makes you feel for 3 minutes.
Don't judge what person A said and don't provide advice.
Just say how you personally felt in your gut in an honest but non-offensive way.
Use the format,
Hearing X made me feel Y.
For example,
Hearing person A say blank made me feel blank.
Now press pause and start the timer at 3 minutes.
Now give each other a hug and repeat the process for person B and person C.
