This document describes the "Fear in a Hat" exercise, which is designed to help group members openly acknowledge and share their fears about an upcoming program or experience in a safe way. It involves:
1) Having each person anonymously write down a fear on a piece of paper and putting them in a hat.
2) Taking turns drawing a fear from the hat, reading it aloud without saying who wrote it, and elaborating on what that person may be feeling.
3) Discussing how people felt after all the fears were shared, and potentially connecting it to later activities around goal setting, contracting, or exploring feelings.
The goal is to help foster group support by acknowledging common fears
This document describes the "Fear in a Hat" exercise, which is designed to help group members openly acknowledge and share their fears about an upcoming program or experience in a safe way. It involves:
1) Having each person anonymously write down a fear on a piece of paper and putting them in a hat.
2) Taking turns drawing a fear from the hat, reading it aloud without saying who wrote it, and elaborating on what that person may be feeling.
3) Discussing how people felt after all the fears were shared, and potentially connecting it to later activities around goal setting, contracting, or exploring feelings.
The goal is to help foster group support by acknowledging common fears
This document describes the "Fear in a Hat" exercise, which is designed to help group members openly acknowledge and share their fears about an upcoming program or experience in a safe way. It involves:
1) Having each person anonymously write down a fear on a piece of paper and putting them in a hat.
2) Taking turns drawing a fear from the hat, reading it aloud without saying who wrote it, and elaborating on what that person may be feeling.
3) Discussing how people felt after all the fears were shared, and potentially connecting it to later activities around goal setting, contracting, or exploring feelings.
The goal is to help foster group support by acknowledging common fears
This document describes the "Fear in a Hat" exercise, which is designed to help group members openly acknowledge and share their fears about an upcoming program or experience in a safe way. It involves:
1) Having each person anonymously write down a fear on a piece of paper and putting them in a hat.
2) Taking turns drawing a fear from the hat, reading it aloud without saying who wrote it, and elaborating on what that person may be feeling.
3) Discussing how people felt after all the fears were shared, and potentially connecting it to later activities around goal setting, contracting, or exploring feelings.
The goal is to help foster group support by acknowledging common fears
Description of a Group Interpersonal Understanding Exercise
James Neill Last updated: Fear in a Hat Set an appropriate tone, e.g., settled, attentive, caring and serious. !e tone could "e set "# introducing t!e topic of fear and explaining !o$ it is normal and natural at t!is stage of program t!at people are experiencing all sorts of anxieties, $orries and fears a"out $!at mig!t !appen. % good $a# of starting to deal $it! t!ese fears is !ave t!em openl# acn&o$ledged ' la# t!em on t!e ta"le, $it!out "eing su"(ect to ridicule. )aving one*s fears expressed and !eard almost immediatel# cuts t!em in !alf. +an "e done as t!e first activit# in a program, during t!e initial stages or $ell into t!e program. ,!en used earl# on in particular, it can !elp to foster group support and "e !elpful for alerting t!e group to issues t!e# ma# $ant to respect in a -ull .alue +ontract. %s& ever#one, including t!e group leaders, to complete t!is sentence on a piece of paper /anon#mousl#0: 1In t!is trip2group2program, I am 3most4 afraid t!at...1 or 1In t!is trip2group2program, t!e $orst t!ing t!at could !appen to me $ould "e...1 +ollect t!e pieces of paper, mix t!em around, t!en invite eac! person to a piece of paper and read a"out someone*s fear. 5ne "# one, eac! group mem"er reads out t!e fear of anot!er group mem"er and ela"orates and $!at !e2s!e feels t!at person is most afraid of in t!is group2situation. No one is to comment on $!at t!e person sa#s, (ust listen and move on to t!e next person. If t!e reader doesn*t ela"orate muc! on t!e fear, t!en as& t!em one or t$o 6uestions. %void impl#ing or s!o$ing #our opinion as to t!e fear "eing expressed, unless t!e person is disrepecting or completel# misunderstanding someone*s fear. If t!e person doesn*t ela"orate after one or t$o 6uestions, leave it and move on.
Equipment: 7aper and pen2pencil per participant8 )at, tin or "ag. Time: 9: minutes ; <'= minutes per participant, e.g., <:'=> minutes for a group of <>. Brief description: 7eople $rite personal fears anon#mousl# on pieces of paper $!ic! are collected. !en eac! person reads someone else*s fear to group and explains !o$ t!e person mig!t feel. Links to other versions: -ear in a )at /$$$.(afi.org.ilm0 -ear in a )at /$$$.nurturingpotential.net0
,!en all t!e fears !ave "een read out and ela"orated on, t!en discuss $!at people felt and noticed. +an lead into ot!er activities, suc! as developing a -ull Group +ontract, personal or team goal settings, course "riefings $!ic! specificall# tac&le some of t!e issues raised, or into ot!er activities in $!ic! participants explore t!eir feelings and fears /e.g., see t!e -ear in a )at description at $$$.nurturingpotential.net0 Variations Li&es and disli&es ' in t$o separate !ats ,orries +omplaints2gripes ,is!es -avorite moments