
Joy Circles + Joyful Support Steps: A Simple Tool for Practical Support
From No Shame in Our Game by Joyful Support Movement
February 13, 2026 · 24 min · Season 4 · Episode 7
About this episode
This episode discusses the Joyful Support Steps tool and the experience of hosting a Joy Circle.
Heads up: Joyful Support Movement is now Practical Hug (aka the Practical Hug Network for our podcasts ). In this episode, we share one of our favorite tools: Joyful Support Steps . It’s a simple way to offer support that’s honest, human, and actually helpful. Sara shares what it was like to host their first in-person Joy Circle, and we walk through the three parts of the tool: Story : what’s real right now Joy : what’s helping you breathe a little easier Step : one small next action that feels doable If you’re tired of “good vibes only,” allergic to perfection culture, or you want support that doesn’t turn you into a project, you’re in the right place. In This Episode The rebrand: why Practical Hug (and what’s staying the same) Joyful Support Steps (Story / Joy / Step), and why it’s a tool you can use anywhere Sara’s first in-person Joy Circle: what surprised them, and what participants asked for The origin story of the tool (including the first time Sara used it with Lacey) Holding space for hard things without toxic positivity (or chronic complaining) Why this isn’t “self-help that fixes your life,” and what we actually mean by support The bigger vision for Joy Circles…
People in this episode
Hosts: Sara, Lacey
Topics covered
- support tools
- community building
- mental health
- Joy Circles
- self-improvement
Keywords
- Joyful Support Steps
- Joy Circles
- support
- mental health
- community
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Joyful Support Movement, Practical Hug
Places: Petal and Hive
More episodes of No Shame in Our Game
- Summer Shame: Letting Go of the Perfect Summer Pressure · June 5, 2026 · 31 min
- Shame of Not Belonging: Jiemi Gao on immigrating and finding your people · May 15, 2026 · 43 min
- Lazy: The Shame Turducken · April 24, 2026 · 39 min
- Big Feelings & Shame Origins: Part 2 · April 3, 2026 · 23 min
- Big Feelings & Shame Origins: Part 1 · March 27, 2026 · 25 min
- Good, Better, Best: The Bare Minimum Is a Foundation, Not a Failure · February 27, 2026 · 33 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the No Shame in Our Game podcast page.