EA - Grow your Mental Wellbeing to Grow your Impact HERE: Announcing our Summer Program by Edmo Gamelin

Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: Grow your Mental Wellbeing to Grow your Impact HERE: Announcing our Summer Program, published by Edmo Gamelin on July 14, 2023 on The Effective Altruism Forum.Do you want tobecome more fulfilled, resilient, and productive?practice evidence-based tools to deal with blockers and stressors such as low energy levels, anxiety, imposter syndrome, and perfectionism?embark on that journey with other members of the community?Apply for our summer program in ~15 min here! Spaces are limited.TL;DRRethink Wellbeing is announcing an online Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Program from August-October 2023. This program is designed to help improve mental wellbeing and productivity for people in the EA community. Using the latest psychotherapeutic and behavior change techniques, participants attend weekly group sessions together with 5-8 well-matched peers, led by a trained facilitator, and engage in readings and application of the learned tools in between the sessions. This no-cost program requires eight weeks of commitment, with a total of 6h/week.What does the program consist of?The program is experiential and practice-based; you'll learn through repeated, deliberate practice, so your new skills can eventually become automatic and habitual. We will draw on techniques backed by a wealth of cutting-edge research, particularly those from the gold standard of third-wave CBT. These techniques can be applied to a variety of target areas: anxiety, low mood, perfectionism, procrastination, self-esteem, productivity, and more. You can learn more about CBT here.The program involves:Weekly participationA group video conference, led by a trained peer facilitator, ranging from 1,5 to 2 hours, designed for sharing personal experiences, bonding, initiating discussions, and practicing newly learned techniques together.A reading before each meeting (~a few pages/week for CBT)Home practice of new skills and techniques (~4h/week or ~30 min/day)Program evaluation surveysShort weekly forms for progress tracking, reflections, and feedback (< 5 min each)Surveys on your mental well-being at weeks 0, 6, 8, and 12 (~20 min each)We ask that people who sign up be ready to commit to the entire program, which is essential because:You are most likely to maximize your benefits from the program by dedicating time to the weekly sessions, readings, and home practice.Your peers will rely on you. You will go on this journey with a small group, handpicked for you. Poor participation or dropping out can challenge the group's dynamics and spirit.We will only be able to determine whether the program is effective and scalable if everyone engages fully.Why do we think the program will be effective?Mental health research suggests that peer-guided self-help groups working with evidence-based therapy methods can improve mental wellbeing and productivity just as much as 1:1 therapy.In addition, Rethink Wellbeing's pilot tests of peer-facilitated groups showed promising results:Participants' psychological well-being significantly increased (p < .05).Productivity, perfectionism, and self-leadership increased in the correspondingly themed groups.All participants rated the programs as "Good" or "Excellent".3 of 5 groups decided to continue meeting.You can learn more about the rationale and background behind our method on our website.How do I sign-up?If you are interested in participating in the program, you can apply within ~15 min here.If you are interested in facilitating a group, you can apply within ~20 min here. Details will follow in another post soon.Answers will be reviewed on a rolling basis until July 31, 2023. Earlier applications are preferred.Here's what happens after you sign up:We review your answers, and confirm if you're accepted via email. We will only be able to respond to th...