Week 2: Get Brave
What would you do if you weren't afraid of how it would land? This week, you'll push past your defaults — through bold conversations, visible acts of courage, and a portfolio of proof that you're braver than your autopilot.
How This Week Works
Each week of the Heart-to-Heart challenge has two parts: a flexible creative anchor project you'll build your way this week, and a menu of heartbeat activities you can pick from.
To complete Week 2 and enter the weekly raffle (winners for ALL anchor projects selected June 3), do the following:
- Work on your own interpretation of the anchor project (described below) — this is your creative throughline for the week and can be done however feels right to you!
- Complete at least 3 activities from the Heartbeat Menu (below; click the title of each activity for instructions) — select whichever ones interest you most and make the most sense to your life right now.
Looking for Week 1? Find that week's instructions here.
You can log your activities through the forms linked below all the way through 11:59pm CST on June 2, 2026. But remember. a new week of activities releases on May 18
All currently released weeks visible on the main challenge homepage. Work on the weeks that interest you most, or pace yourself throughout the month to maximize your chances of being selected for a raffle: for any week where you complete the anchor + three Heartbeat Menu activities, you're eligible to be one of 5 winners to get their choice of a guide module, HG Membership, or HG merch.
All drawings to be completed June 3; one prize per winner.
Bold Moves Portfolio
Curate a collection of at least 5 new bold moves you make this week — moments where you choose bravery over comfort in the context of love, desire, or relationships. Big or small, public or private. The only requirement is that the move was harder than your default.
A bold move is anything where you did something that scared you, even a little: something you tried, something you said, a boundary newly held, a conversation you didn't dodge, or even a feeling you let yourself feel instead of numbing. If it took more guts than your autopilot would have spent — it counts. The portfolio is your evidence file: proof, for yourself, that you're braver than your defaults.
Suggested Forms
Day 1 (May 11): Define your brave and pick your format. What counts as a bold move for you? Write a one-sentence definition, then decide how you'll put your portfolio together.
Days 2–3 (May 12–13): Collect your first 2–3 bold moves. Document each one as it happens — details fade fast.
Days 4–5 (May 14–15): Keep pushing. Are your bold moves all the same kind of brave? Try a different type. Is there one you've been avoiding? Now's the time.
Day 6 (May 16): Assemble your portfolio. Lay out your 5+ bold moves in whatever form you chose.
Day 7 (May 17): Finalize and submit. Read through the whole portfolio — what pattern do you see? What bravery is still missing?
Submit your anchor project when you're done by clicking here & filling out the linked form.
Heartbeat Activities
Pick at least 3 from the menu below. Each offers multiple tracks — choose the one that fits how you engage best. Click on any activity below to expand the full instructions.
When you're ready to log an activity, click HERE and fill out the linked form. You can also log your activities via react in the Week 2 Discord forum (no need to use both!) - just make sure to use the same email when you use /h2h join on Discord as you do in any forms!
A boundary, at its core, is not a rule you enforce on someone else. It's a statement about what you will do — a limit you set on your own behavior, often in response to someone else's. "Don't yell at me" is a request. "I'm going to leave the room if yelling continues" is a boundary. One asks another person to change. The other communicates what you'll do to take care of yourself regardless of what they choose.
Write down 3 boundaries you currently hold or 3 places where you wish you had a boundary but don't (or mix and match). For each one, check to make sure it's an actual boundary — not a request for the other person to change, but a statement of what you will do. (Hint: A real boundary can be reworded into: "If [situation], I will [your action].")
Set one small boundary this week — or reinforce one that's been slipping. It can be minor: "I'm going to stop answering work messages after dinner" or "I'm not going to apologize for needing alone time." Write down what happened and how it felt.
Share one boundary you've tried to set that didn't work — either because you couldn't uphold it, because it was secretly a request or an ultimatum, or something else. Tell us what you've learned, or ask for help workshopping it into something that works. Read others' and offer support where you can.
- Most of your "boundaries" are actually requests? That's one of the most common revelations. Requests aren't bad, but they only work when the other person cooperates. Boundaries work regardless.
- Setting the boundary felt mean? Boundaries often feel mean to people who've been socialized to prioritize others' comfort. The feeling of "mean" is worth investigating — is it actually mean, or just unfamiliar?
- Can't identify any boundaries? Start with something small and measurable — screen time limits, when you respond to messages, how much you say yes or no. Build from there.
"Get out of your comfort zone" is one of the most common and least useful pieces of advice — because it assumes you know where the edges are. This activity makes the nuance explicit: the things that are uncomfortable but not impossible, scary but not dangerous.
Draw yourself and place different items related to relationships around you, farther away the more outside of your comfort zone they are. Aim for at least three layers: Center (Comfort Zone) — things you can do without breaking a sweat; Middle (Stretch Zone) — uncomfortable but doable with effort; Outer (Panic Zone) — things that feel impossible right now. Then pick one thing from the Stretch Zone and star it — that's your brave target for this week.
Draw yourself and place different items related to relationships around you, farther away the more outside of your comfort zone they are. Be specific, using the actual people you encounter regularly as well as hypothetical strangers. Consider if the comfort zone layers you spend your time in are at the balance you want.
Draw your comfort zone map and share it, along with just one item you hope gets a little closer in the next few months.
- Map looks super different for different types of relationships? Good! Feel free to color-code or make separate maps. Your comfort zone with friends and with romantic interests might be wildly different.
- Everything's super close or super far from you? That means you've been living inside your comfort zone or jumping to extremes. Break down the baby steps in between — you'll find some feel more doable than others.
Most people have at least one person they've been meaning to contact. The reason they haven't usually isn't laziness — it's that reaching out first feels like risk. Going first means accepting the possibility that the other person might not meet you halfway, and deciding to do it anyway.
Write a message you've been meaning to send — to anyone, about anything. An answer, a check-in, an "I've been thinking about you," an "I miss this." Write the whole thing out. You don't have to send it. But notice: does having it written change whether you want to?
Reach out to one person you've been thinking about but haven't contacted. The message doesn't have to be detailed — "Been thinking about you, wanted to check in" or "I saw this and it reminded me of you" works. The bravery is in going first.
Find someone's submission or reply that's resonated with you and let them know via the Community Shout-Outs channel. Or start a conversation in the community channel about something you've been thinking about this week — and stick around long enough to have it.
- Worried about being a bother? Most people are glad to hear from someone who genuinely cares. Pick someone who would gladly smile and wave at you if you walked past each other.
- They didn't respond? Your message still was sent. Some people don't have capacity right now. You succeeded in reaching out.
- Solo Track is all you're up for? Writing the message is the hardest part. If you send it later, great. If not, you still practiced articulating something instead of keeping it vague in your head.
Making amends requires admitting you were wrong, sitting with someone else's hurt, seeking to make things right, and giving up the comfort of operating like someone who didn't cause harm. This activity is for the amends or course corrections you've been putting off — to people in your life, to past versions of yourself, or to relationships you handled poorly.
Identify 1–3 amends or course corrections you owe. For each one, write down: what happened, what "making it right" might actually look like (specific words, a specific action or commitment), and what's been stopping you from doing it.
Make one amend this week. Could be a real apology, a course correction, or a clarification of something you got wrong. Think small if you need to — "hey, I realize I was short with you yesterday, sorry about that" counts. Note what you said and what came back.
Share one amends you owe but haven't made — either the scripted words of a possible apology or what you think might make it right. Then add what it's taught you about how you want to handle similar situations going forward.
- Don't think you owe anyone an apology? Worth questioning. Most of us owe some. If genuinely you don't, apply this to a past version of yourself — an amends to who you used to be.
- The apology you owe is huge? Start with the part you can actually deliver. "I owe you a real conversation about what happened, and I haven't been ready. I'm getting closer." is itself a meaningful act of bravery.
- They didn't accept it? That's their right. The apology was about taking responsibility, not getting forgiveness.
- It opened something rather than closed it? That's common. Real amends often start conversations rather than end them.
In the Social Anxiety video of Dr. K's Guide to Love, Sex, & Relationships, he explains that the parts of the brain that interpret faces, tone, and body language can atrophy if unused. When those circuits go quiet, they get replaced by the anxious internal monologue of "Was it something I said? Are they bored?" — which creates more anxiety, more avoidance, and even less practice reading people. This activity breaks that cycle at the input level: you practice the perceptual skill without having to respond, fix, or interpret what it means about you.
Watch any nonfiction TV clip or YouTube interview with sound off for two minutes. Every 15 seconds or so, name an emotion you see on someone's face until you have at least 5. Use specific words — not "good" or "bad" but amused, distracted, irritated, hopeful. Notice when you're genuinely seeing a clue vs. guessing.
Out in the world or at home, pick one person you can see but who isn't focused on you — someone across a coffee shop, on transit, at a family dinner. Spend 30–60 seconds reading their face and posture. Not staring, just noticing: what do you think they're feeling? What specifically gives it away?
Watch ~2 minutes from a conversation on YouTube with sound off. Share the link + 3–4 emotions you spotted with timestamps. Then watch a clip someone else linked — react with 💯 if you agree, 💡 if they spotted something you missed.
- Couldn't tell what anyone was feeling? Normal! Watch the same two minutes three days in a row — you'll catch more each time.
- Started spiraling? ("Am I doing this right?") That's the anxious loop trying to take over a perceptual task. Redirect to just describing what you see, like a nature documentary narrator. Description shuts the calculator down.
- Got caught looking IRL? Smile briefly and look away. The exchange takes 0.5 seconds and they won't think about it again.
The conversations you don't have, the boundaries you don't set, the things you don't say — avoidance has a price tag, but most of the time, we never read it. When you can see what staying silent has cost you, the discomfort of getting brave starts looking less difficult by comparison.
Identify 2–3 specific things you've been avoiding saying or doing in the context of love, desire, or relationships. For each one, write down: what is staying silent costing me? Then: what would it cost to actually do the thing, and what would its benefits be? Compare.
Pick one thing that's costing you more than what it would actually cost to break. Then, take a first step toward doing it (or just do it). Doesn't have to be the perfect version, just the version you can actually do. Note what shifted once you'd done it.
Share one thing a silence or avoidance is costing you — vague is fine ("an unspoken thing in a friendship is starting to make me feel distant"). Then share what the benefits would be of actually saying or doing the thing. Read others and react to ones that resonate.
- Can't see any costs? Try this prompt: "What do I think 'why didn't I do this yet?' about more often than I'd like?" The thing you keep mentally returning to is usually costing you something.
- Breaking the silence feels riskier than staying quiet? Sometimes it is. But check whether the risk is real or imagined. The brain is very good at inflating one and ignoring the other.
- The cost-benefit analysis didn't motivate action? Some silences are there for legitimate reasons. Knowing that on purpose is different from staying silent by default.
Real bravery is everywhere, and most of it is small: somebody admitting they were wrong, somebody saying "I miss you" first, somebody setting a boundary with a smile and no apology. This activity trains you to notice courage in the wild so you can also notice more of your own.
Over the next 48 hours or so, watch for moments of bravery — in people around you, in things you read, in TV/film, or in your own past. Log at least 5. For each: what was the brave act, what did it cost the person, and what would have been easier? Notice how often "small" bravery shows up.
When you notice someone being brave this week (even in a tiny way) and it feels appropriate, tell them. "That was brave" or "I noticed you did [thing] and I think that took guts." Many people have never been told their everyday courage was admirable.
Share one example of bravery you spotted this week — real, fictional, online, offline, doesn't matter. What made it brave specifically?
- Everything you spotted was big or dramatic? Look smaller. The person who said "I'm not okay" instead of "I'm fine." Bravery is mostly small.
- Telling someone you noticed felt awkward? Awkward and meaningful aren't mutually exclusive. Positive social acknowledgment feels weird because we don't do it enough.
For some people, bravery means something external: being visible at all. Wearing the thing. Posting the post. Sharing what you made. Saying the unpopular opinion. Letting people see you as you are. This activity is for anyone whose default is to make themselves smaller, quieter, or more palatable so they don't take up too much room.
Identify one specific way you've been making yourself smaller or less visible. Write down what you'd do if you weren't trying to be invisible — the outfit, the opinion, the post, the project, the conversation. What would "taking up space" look like for you, specifically?
Do the visible thing this week. Wear what you want to wear. Say what you think in the meeting. Share the work. Post the post. Let yourself be seen in one specific way you've been holding back.
Let yourself be seen on the server in a way you normally don't. Get involved in a channel you normally lurk in, share something in the creative showcase, post a win, ask a question in a space you're curious about, or make an AMAA post you'd talked yourself out of.
- Someone made you feel bad for it? That's information about them, not about whether you should have stayed small.
- The visible thing felt cringy? "Cringe" is often just the feeling of being seen when you're used to hiding. It passes, and it passes faster each time.
- No one noticed? They might not have. The point isn't their reaction — it's that you took up the space at all.
A lot of bravery is stuck behind a permission gate. You're not afraid of doing the thing — you don't believe you're allowed to even want it. "I shouldn't need that much affection. I'll be too clingy if I ask for reassurance again. I shouldn't still dream of a relationship if I'm still single at this point." This activity is about explicitly granting yourself permission, in writing, to want what you actually want — without softening, qualifying, or apologizing.
Write yourself a small bullet-point permission slip. Aim for at least one want or desire in three categories — in love, in your relationship with yourself, in friendships — with nothing softened. Sign it. Date it.
Craft a permission slip allowing yourself to want something in a way that you can physically hold — either handwritten or printed. Put it somewhere you'll see it regularly: a mirror, your desk, next to your keys. Take the time to read it whenever you pass it this week.
Design and share a 1+ item permission slip — something you've been giving yourself permission to desire. Read others' and react to any wants you'd like to give yourself permission for too.
- Everything you wrote felt unreasonable? The first draft usually does. The whole point of a permission slip is to override the voice that says "you can't want that." If the voice is loud, the permission slip is doing its job.
- You didn't believe what you wrote? That's okay. The slip is aspirational. You're not committing to feeling entitled to it — you're practicing the move of letting yourself want, which is a separate skill from believing you'll get it.
Live Events This Week
You can count one event as a heartbeat menu activity ("Learn," Community Track). Interact in the chat using the same username you're using for this challenge, and/or share one thing you learned afterward via the form or in the Discord thread, so we know you attended enough to get something out of it.
Boundaries with Difficult People at Work (Tuesday, May 12)
Having a hard time setting boundaries with coworkers, bosses, or even your customers? In this themed "Get Brave" event, we'll learn how to advocate for our needs and handle challenging workplace dynamics with professionalism.
Senpai, Notice My Nervous System: Habits for Intimacy and Connection (Recording)
When stress is high, sleep is bad, or you feel disconnected from your own body, connection can start to feel more complicated than it needs to be. This workshop covers how simple health habits can support body confidence, emotional availability, desire, and deeper connection with yourself and others. Originally aired during Week 1 — the recording can be used as a Week 2 event.
Doki Doki Cardio Club: Why Your Heart Needs a Training Arc (Saturday, May 17 + Recorded)
Your heart supports your energy, focus, stress tolerance, recovery, confidence, and even how you show up in relationships. When your cardio capacity is low, basic life can start feeling expensive: stairs hit harder, stress lingers longer, patience runs thinner. In this workshop, we'll talk about heart health, why cardio belongs in everyone's life, and how building your aerobic base can make daily living feel less exhausting.
The Fear of Being Judged (Wednesday, May 14 + Recorded)
Sometimes it's hard speaking up — whether it's a community, day-to-day conversations, or sharing your thoughts. A lot of us hold back because we're afraid of how others might perceive us. Our Healthy Gamer community leads panel will explore where this fear comes from, how it affects online or IRL interactions, and ways to build confidence and authenticity in social spaces.