Support Group Activities for Women

Trust-building exercises, such as falling into another woman's arms, being led blindfolded, comparing yourself to an object or drawing a picture of your body are all activities you'll find in a women's support group. Women suffering from difficult circumstances or seeking new and exciting experiences may be looking for a way to share feelings and build healthy friendships. These exercises provide a way to enhance the bonds between those in the support group and bring them together in a way that they did not know was possible.

... MM Productions/Photodisc/Getty Images

Women's support groups often have a changing membership, with new women joining the group to seek help and other women leaving the group after finding the guidance that they need. As a result, the need to emphasize trust and faith constantly in one another can be very important. First, pair up in groups of two, where women of similar body sizes are together. In each pair, there will be "faller" and a "catcher" (these roles will be swapped later). The faller turns her back toward the catcher and stands about two to three feet in front of the other person. On the count of three, the faller falls backwards and the catcher catches her, demonstrating trust. Take a minute after the exercise to reflect on the experience and describe how it made you feel.

... John Howard/Photodisc/Getty Images

Body image issues can be a huge part of women's support groups. Feeling good about your body can make you confident in all aspects of your life. Take a minute to close your eyes and picture each part of your body, from head to toe. Grab a piece of paper and draw a sketch of your body, with as much detail as feels comfortable. After drawing, circle parts of your body that make you feel proud or good. Present your picture to the group and explain why you like these parts of your body. You'll find that describing your body to others in this way boosts your confidence towards others and allows you to be more honest with yourself.

... Brand X Pictures/Stockbyte/Getty Images

Almost all people have some sort of suppressed emotions that are difficult or uncomfortable to express. In this activity, each person brings one object from her household that describes her. Pick an item that is dynamic and represents you both physically and mentally. Take turns in the circle and explain why the object represents you. This allows you to project feelings and stories on the object, making buried emotions easier to express.

You may feel that women's support groups are important to you, in addition to the emotional aspect, because they help create physical bonds with other women. A blindfolding exercise provides the opportunity for you to get physically close to other women, in order to have a physical representation of the bonds within the group. In this exercise, get in pairs. One woman blindfolds her partner and the two walk through an obstacle course, where the blindfolded woman must step over and around certain objects. In this way, build trust by communicating and being physically trusting of your partner.