South Hayward Parish
Training

Initial Situation—January 2006

The South Hayward Parish is a coalition of congregations providing a variety of social and educational services in the South Hayward community. In the fall of 2005, they had conducted a survey of congregational members to determine their training needs, and the first priority topic was stress management. Some of their members were familiar with Inspiring Results’ work with the Lighthouse Community Center, and were interested in taking an AI approach to conducting stress management training.

Inspiring Results' Response

We designed and facilitated 9 hours of training in three sessions, and provided a resource packet for participants. The first two sessions were a week apart, and the third was about 6 weeks later so participants would have the opportunity to try out new techniques and return for additional support. Based on the AI principle of focusing on what you want, we retitled the workshop, “Creating a Balanced, Centered Life.”

The first session focused primarily on tools for coping with stress in the moment. Participants conducted appreciative interviews to identify and share best practices that had worked for them in the past. These strategies were then shared and recorded in the whole group, and participants practiced two or three using a visualization activity. We also briefly introduced the “self-talk cycle,” encouraging the group to continue focusing on what works for them as they begin to implement changes.

In the second session, participants explored a variety of strategies for making lifestyle changes that would build their resilience to stress. They created an image of their dream “balanced, centered life.” A balance wheel activity helped them to see what’s working well and what they want more of in each aspect of their lives to support them in moving toward their dream. The group then explored specific strategies they could use, and we introduced affirmations as a powerful tool for making lifestyle changes.

In the follow-up session six weeks later, participants had the opportunity to celebrate their successes in making changes, and also identified several issues where they wanted additional support. We facilitated discussion around those topics and helped participants summarize the things the things they most wanted to remember and use as the session ended. At their request, we also provided some information on one additional tool: asking appreciative questions.

Results

All group members indicated that they felt significantly better prepared to deal with the stresses in their lives and move toward their ideal “balanced, centered life.” They particularly expressed their appreciation for the group support that developed over the three sessions, saying that they felt less alone and better about themselves as a result. Many also commented on their recognition that they generate a lot of their own stress with their self-talk (by criticizing themselves), and committed to using affirmations and appreciative questions to focus more on theirs and others’ positive aspects.