Welcome to 7 Cups! Your Quick Start Guide for Your First Week

Hey there, and a huge, warm welcome to the 7 Cups community! We're so glad you're here. Taking the first step to seek support is a big deal, and we're here to make your start as smooth as possible. It can feel like a lot at first, so here are a few key things to know during your first week.

Connecting with listeners:
You'll be connecting with trained volunteer Listeners. They are everyday people from all over the world who have been trained in active listening to provide confidential, non-judgmental emotional support.

Listeners can offer a compassionate ear, reflect your thoughts, and help you explore your feelings. They do not give advice, diagnose conditions, or provide therapy. If you are in a crisis or need professional help, 7 Cups has links to resources and therapists, but the 1-on-1 chats are for peer support.

Tips for approaching your first chats with listeners!

• You Don't Need a "Big" Problem: Feeling lonely? Stressed about school? Had a slightly off day? It's all valid. You don't need to wait for a crisis to reach out. Just wanting to talk is reason enough.

• It's Okay if It's Awkward: Starting a conversation with a stranger can be weird! You can start with "Hi, I'm new here and just wanted to see how this works," or "I'm feeling a bit down today and wanted to talk."

• The Golden Rule: It's Okay to End the Chat. Sometimes, you just don't click with a Listener, and that is perfectly okay. If the connection doesn't feel right, you can politely say, "Thanks for your time, I think I'm going to go now," and use the "End Chat" button. Don't let one mediocre chat discourage you. The next Listener might be a perfect match!

7 Cups offers an entire community experience:

• Forums: These are message boards where you can share your story, ask for different perspectives, and support your peers. They are available 24/7 and are a great way to see you're not alone. Find them on the left-hand side of the Community page.

• Group Chats: A fantastic way to connect with multiple people at once who get what you're going through. Visit the list of open chats here.

• Self-paced exercises: Browse the library of short, easy-to-follow guides and exercises on everything from coping with panic attacks to building self-esteem. Find all this and more on your “Path”.

Next up: safety! Your well-being is the top priority.

• You Are Anonymous: You can share with confidence.

• Block & Report Buttons: While the community is overwhelmingly positive, if anyone ever makes you feel uncomfortable, breaks the rules, or asks for private information, do not hesitate to use the Block and Report features (both in chat windows). This helps keep the community safe for everyone.

• ‼️ No offsite contact ‼️ Moving your conversation to another platform is called "offsiting", and it is strictly prohibited. This is a crucial safety rule to protect your privacy. 7 Cups cannot keep you safe if you take connections elsewhere. Violations of this rule are subject to removal from our community, so please help us help you by staying safe!

• The Community Guidelines: More on how we operate and the dos and don’ts here OR you can walk through them via accessibility friendly forum posts for simplified explanations in our Guidelines series here! 

Your First Week Checklist: ✅

Feeling overwhelmed? Just try to do one or two of these things this week!

[ ] Start your first 1-on-1 chat, even if it's just to say hello.
[ ] Familiarize yourself with the Browse Listeners directory.
[ ] Read the Member Welcome Pack
[ ] Pop into a Group Chat to see what it's like.
[ ] (Newbies Only) Introduce yourself in the Welcome Lounge (here).
[ ] Introduce yourself in our official Welcome thread.
[ ] Reply to a few forum posts
[ ] Take a moment to appreciate that you're taking a positive step for your mental well-being.

Remember, everyone here was new once. Be patient with yourself and the process. We are a community of people helping people, and we're truly happy to have you with us.

Have you checked anything off yet? Whenever you do, come back to this post and let us know how it went for you!