Do

Sometimes the best way to help ourselves is by helping others as well.  

Let’s try this activity:

1. Partner up with someone and reflect on a time you witnessed someone who was in an embarrassing situation or felt very uncomfortable.  Without mentioning their name, describe what was happening to that particular person and how you think they felt during and after that embarrassing experience. 
2. Now listen to your partner share their story.
3. Together as partners, try to record 5 words to describe what those unfortunate humans might have been feeling. Write or type them out. 
4. Now discuss what actions you could have taken or words you could have said to that person to help them feel supported. What could you have done or said to help that person embrace the awkward, accept how they feel in the moment, and move on to better things? (Remember to look back at your 5 words so that your actions could specifically help support those feelings you wrote down.)
5. Sometimes the good and healthy advice and support we give others is exactly the advice and support we should be giving ourselves. Next to those 5 words that you and your partner wrote down earlier, we challenge you to write down something healthy you can do whenever you personally feel those words. Think of ways to help yourself work through those awkward moments. (Could you take a walk? Talk to yourself positively? Call a friend? Etc.) Discuss with your partner and record your ideas.
6. If you have time and are with a group, share the 5 words your group came up with and the 5 potential ways to positively support yourself when life gets awkward and uncomfortable. 

Now that you have processed some healthy ways to support others and yourself, we dare you to take a little scrap piece of paper or the inside of a folder and draw a little stick figure that has a speech bubble saying “Embrace the Awkward!” That little silly reminder just might positively trigger you to enjoy the ups and downs in life a little bit more. Maybe have a group competition for who can come up with the best “Embrace the Awkward” sticker and t-shirt design! You can start an entire movement!