6 Key Steps To Building Your Own Empowering Support Group

As a society, it feels like we're the loneliest we've ever been. That’s not much of an exaggeration, by the way: One recent study found that nearly half of all Americans sometimes or always feel alone, and one in four rarely or never feel like there's anyone around them who really understands them. To make matters even sadder, these feelings of alienation were higher among millennials and Gen Z, meaning younger generations are growing up feeling even more isolated than those before them.

In this loneliness epidemic, it’s more vital than ever that we make a conscious effort to be building communities of people around us who can keep us afloat through our lowest of lows. One of the most effective ways I’ve done this is by creating my very own empowering support group.

In 2017, I was a lonely microinfluencer on social media who, despite the thousands of followers, comments, and messages, still suffered from diagnosed major depression. I craved connection outside of the squares of Instagram and inside of the activities of real life. I knew there were people on the other side of my screen who resonated with the things I was posting and writing about online, and many of these women were exercise professionals, wellness enthusiasts, and passion-seekers like myself who connected with my journey toward mental health, self-love, and fitness. They commented on my photos and messaged me words of encouragement, but I never met them in real life.

One day it finally hit me: What if I brought all these people together into one room and saw what happened?

So after a little bit of planning, about 20 women met together on a Sunday morning with yogurt parfaits, teas, and seats assembled in a circle in an athletic store in the middle of Manhattan. All I had were three simple questions I'd scribbled into a notebook: How do you love yourself? How do you nurture your soul? What sports make you feel the most alive?

What happened during the next two hours was magic. We ate, drank, cried, laughed, and connected all over our commonalities of building a passion-filled, healthy lifestyle in the concrete jungle of New York City. We left encouraged, inspired, and wanting more.

Today the same women, as well as new members, meet every month to get real with each other about everything from regret to guilt to money. We call our group Self Soul Sport, which reflects our dedication to a lifestyle of loving self, nurturing soul, and living sport. (We’ve even expanded to a podcast and a book club!)

The reason why I’ve continued with mine over a year is not for profit, not for adoration, not for ego, but for love. I love gathering women together. All the details will fall into place eventually, but it's your dedication to your purpose that will ultimately drive the group to success.

Creating your own support group can pave the way for forming new friendships, for finding more hope and less fear, and for developing into better versions of ourselves. Most importantly, sharing your life with like-minded people will make you feel like you have a real community behind you, rooting for you, and encouraging your every step.