Articles & Information on Self-Care

• Interview With Robert D. Enright About The Forgiving Life

APA recommended books by Dr. Enright:

• Forgiveness Is a Choice: A Step-by-Step Process for Resolving Anger and Restoring Hope
• Forgiveness Therapy: An Empirical Guide for Resolving Anger and Restoring Hope
• The Forgiving Life: A Pathway to Overcoming Resentment and Creating a Legacy of Love

• Radical self-care in the Academy

• What It Really Means to Take Care of Yourself
• Reflections on Valuing Wellbeing in Higher Education

• Centered Self: The Connection Between Inner Well-Being and Social Change (Stanford Social Innovation Review)
• Talking About Race - Self-Care
• School Psychology Unified Call for Deeper Understanding, Solidarity, and Action to Eradicate Anti-AAAPI Racism and Violence (.pdf)
• Supporting Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander Students and Families: Tips for Educators in K–12 Settings
• It’s the Year of the Rabbit and, finally, we can all chill
• Political Engagement as Self-Care
• For psychologists of color, self-care is much more than that

• The Top 10 Earth Day Events of 2023
• Earth Day: Ways to Save the Planet and Improve Your Health

• Carol Dweck: A Summary of Growth and Fixed Mindsets
• What Did You Do With Your Summer? - Psychology Today
• Mental health makes us whole - American Psychological Association

• Rick Hanson Ph.D.

• International Forgiveness Institute

• Watching movies has psychological benefits, and here is all we know about it! - The Bridge Chronicle
• Reduction of Cortisol Levels and Participants' Responses Following Art Making
• Art for Self-Care and Mental Health - The Whole U
• Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us - Audible Book

• Helping Children Cope With Terrorism - Tips for Families and Educators
• 5 Ways to deal with war anxiety

• Being Antiracist
• Living with uncertainty
• NASP Guidance for Ensuring Student Well-Being in the Context of the Chauvin Trial
• Self-Care - National Museum of African American History and Culture
• National PRIDE Month Is a Time for Learning for Schools and Families
• How Your Mindfulness Practice Can Support the World Right Now
• Social Justice Belongs In Our Schools | Sydney Chaffee | TEDxBeaconStreet
• Freedom For All? What the Fourth of July Really Means
• The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro by Frederick Douglass
• The Five Rules for Self-Care
• Op-Ed: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Don’t understand the protests? What you’re seeing is people pushed to the edge
• Social Justice Belongs In Our Schools
• How to Talk to Your Child About Race and Inequality (.pdf)
• NASP Calls for Action to End Racism and Violence Against People of Color
• Anti-racism resources for white people

• Psychology's urgent need to dismantle racism

• Stop Trying to Manage Your Time - Amantha Imber, Harvard Business Journal
• Four Ways Nature Can Protect Your Well-Being During a Pandemic
• Why social support is the most overlooked self care routine
• The great unknown: 10 tips for dealing with the stress of uncertainty
• With COVID surging again, here are eight tips to help with your Omicron anxiety
• The World Is Experiencing Mass Trauma from COVID-19: What You Can Do by Heathline
• The COVID-19 Pandemic One Year Later: Silver Linings in a Very Dark Cloud by CareSource
• Spend Two Hours a Week in Nature to Boost Your Health and Well-Being by Beth Levine in EveryDayHealth
• 9 Ways Psychologists Plan to Stay Happy and Healthy This Winter of COVID-19 by Becky Upham in EveryDayHealth
• 5 Ways to Use Art to Change Your Mindset By Lindsay Lederman in EveryDayHealth
• How Maintaining a Gratitude Journal for 1 Month Made Me Happier By Melinda Carstensen in EveryDayHealth
• Top 25 Movies and TV Shows Examining Resilience By Dana Sullivan Kilroy in EveryDayHealth
• Amit Sood, MD: Q&A About Finding Resilience to Chronic Stress Through Neuroscience By Susan K. Treiman  in EveryDayHealth
• The Importance of Taking a Good, Deep Breath Right Now By Trevis Gleason in EveryDayHealth
• Five Ways to Practice Breath-Focused Meditation By Brianna Majsiak EveryDayHealth
• Darlene Mininni, PhD: Q&A About Gratitude, Mindfulness, Reframing By Margot Slade in EveryDayHealth
• How to Cope With Anxiety and Depression By Diana Rodriguez in EveryDayHealth 
• The Ultimate Expert-Approved Diet Plan for a Happier, Less-Stressed You By Kelly Kennedy, RD in EveryDayHealth
• 53 Top Self-Care Tips for Taking Care of You During the Coronavirus Pandemic  By Sarah DiGiulio and Elizabeth Millard in EveryDayHealth
• Your 10-Point Self-Care Plan for Boosting Resilience This COVID-19 Winter By Amita Sood, MD in EveryDayHealth
• A Guide to Practicing Self-Care with Mindfulness - Mindful Journal
• Impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of US college students - Lee, J., Solomon, M., Stead, BMCPsychology
• Labor Day: Promoting Work-Life Balance for Wellbeing Since 1894 - Think Health

• Maintaining human connection in time of physical distancing- Jennifer Wickham, L.P.C. in the Mayo Clinic

• Creating a Culture of Self-Care in the Workplace - Calm Business Blog
• Five minute coronavirus stress resets - Jenny Taitz in the New York Times
• The Other Side of Languishing Is Flourishing - Dani Blum in the New York Times
• A Trauma Informed Return to Campus - Sarah Brown in the Chronical of Higher Education
• Seven Ways to Cope with Uncertainty - Christine Carter in Greater Good Magazine
• Do You Have "Post-Isolation Syndrome"?
• "Back To Office Anxiety? How To Keep Your Fears In Check" by Dr Margie Warrell in Forbes
• EMOTIONAL SELF-CARE IN 2021
• Why Self-Care Isn’t Selfish
• Care for Caregivers: Tips for Families and Educators
• Tuning in, turning outward: Cultivating compassionate leadership in a crisis
• 10 Self-Compassion Practices to Help You Cope with the Coronavirus Pandemic https://www.guilford.com/add/10_SC_Practices_for_the_coronavirus.pdf
• Your ‘Surge Capacity’ Is Depleted — It’s Why You Feel Awful. Here’s how to pull yourself out of despair and live your life https://elemental.medium.com/your-surge-capacity-is-depleted-it-s-why-you-feel-awful-de285d542f4c
• Huffington Post article discusses how to engage in simple self-care for back to school by labeling emotions, being active, and taking time for you https://www.huffpost.com/entry/simple-self-care-for-back-to-school_b_59a07ec9e4b0a62d0987aee4
• Psychology Today article on “Back to School in a Pandemic: Tips to Foster Mental Health Strategies to help students, parents, and teachers” https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/modern-mentality/202008/back-school-in-pandemic-tips-foster-mental-health
• Brandman University article on “Self-care for college students: Learn how to prioritize your wellness” https://www.brandman.edu/news-and-events/blog/self-care-for-college-students
• And has created a quiz for all of us to take to determine how strong our work/life balance is  https://www.brandman.edu/news-and-events/blog/how-strong-is-your-worklife-balance
• Houston Life offers back-to-school self-care tips for children, teachers and parents https://www.click2houston.com/houston-life/2020/08/20/back-to-school-self-care-tips-for-children-teachers-and-parents/
• Mindfulness for Teachers offers a huge list of articles, videos, activities in this wonderful resource list for teachers http://www.mindfulteachers.org/p/self-care-resources.html
• Augsburg University offers a list of self-care online resources from faculty and staff self-care programs from universities across the country: https://www.augsburg.edu/cwc/facultystaff-referral-guide/self-care-for-faculty-staff/
• Sanvello app   Sign up with a .edu account and you get free access to their premium Guided Meditations.
• Anxiety/Stress Quick Tools for Support
• Avoiding Burnout:  Self-Care Strategies for Faculty  Camille Freeman & Bevin Clare
• Self-Care for Teachers    Anne Brunette, MSW
• Staff Self-Care from The Colorado Education Initiative
• Faculty Burnout    Robert Minter, Walsh College      Includes the “Burnout Cycle Inventory” and  a “Recovery Process” (page 7).
• Are You Burning Out?  From the University at Buffalo School of Social Work
• Self-Care Starter Kit   University at Buffalo School of Social Work
• Professor Goldilocks and the Three Boundaries    Self-care and boundaries; Amanda Wyrick
• How to Listen Less   Setting boundaries with students’ personal problems   Kerry Ann Rockquemore
• Radical Self-Care   “Kerry Ann Rockquemore offers advice for faculty members feeling exhausted by racial battle fatigue”
• It’s Your Job, Not Your Life   Kerry Ann Rockquemore
• A Black Academic Woman’s Self-Care Manifesto  Erica Lorraine Williams
• ChefMD's Green Cure: How Gardening and Nature Can Heal What Ails You (YouTube presentation)
  Additional resources (.pdf)
• Green is good for you - By Rebecca A. Clay
• Your Brain and Nature: Restorative Effects of Exposure to Nature - by Robert Donahue
• Stress recovery during exposure to natural and urban environments - by Ulrich et al.
• How to tackle mental health in the workplace as a manager and colleague
• 10 Ways to Fight Loneliness While Sheltering at Home
• 8 Dimensions of Wellness (COVID-19 resources) website Klotz Health Promotion website has been updated with COVID-19 resources to assist the CSUN community in maintaining wellness during this period of virtual instruction.
• The complete guide on how to stay sane: A 13-step process
• First Aid for Feelings: A Workbook to Help Kids Cope During the Coronavirus Pandemic (.pdf)
• Downloadable, printable stress-relieving coloring book available https://www.plumdeluxe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/PlumDeluxeTeaColoringBook-1.pdf

• The CSUN Office of Community Engagement is offering virtual mindfulness sessions, gardening, academic book club, yoga and other virtual events. And if you’d like to increase your virtual social connections, you can join the “Coffee with Colleagues” on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:30-4:00pm. https://www.csun.edu/undergraduate-studies/community-engagement/connect-community

• The Institute for Community Health and Well-Being is offering wellness workshops on Wednesdays on 12:00-1:00pm. One example is the Hand and Wrist Stretching Workshop. As staff and faculty are stuck at home who are working on computers for longer periods of time, Leslie McAllister of Yoga Music Studio shares some stretches for the hands and wrists in her Wellness Wednesday video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=pm9TOx5gqAw&feature=youtu.be

  Find other great workshops athttps://www.csun.edu/wellbeing

• Feel like reading up on your favorite topic? The Oviatt Library is offering access to lots of free resources virtually. Please visit http://libguides.csun.edu/affordable-learning-solutions/covid-19

  And for a complete guide to the resources available at the library go to https://library.csun.edu/covid19-closure

• FOR OUR STUDENTS-Our students need our encouragement for their well-being now more than ever. In response to COVID-19, the Oasis Wellness Center of the University Student Union offers all CSUN students the opportunity to enhance their wellbeing virtually right now through MINDBODY. Encourage your students to join these workshops to stay healthy and mindful! https://www.csun.edu/oasis/news/oasis-offers-virtual-wellness-programs-csun-students

• Managing anxiety and stress

• Managing working at home with young children. https://inservice.ascd.org/strategies-for-staying-sane-while-staying-home/

•  Inspiring words for challenging times. https://liveabovethehype.com/

• Do You Know What Self-Care Is?

• Ilene Strauss Cohen Ph.D. (July 2, 2019 ) How to Appreciate What You Have Already

• Holland, K. (2020, June 27). Positive Self-Talk: How Talking to Yourself Is a Good Thing. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/positive-self-talk#examples-of-positive-self--talk
• The Open University. (2021). Self Reflection. https://www.open.ac.uk/choose/unison/develop/my-skills/self-reflection
• Selig, M. (2021). 6 Ways to Discover and Choose Your Core Values. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/changepower/201811/6-ways-discover-and-choose-your-core-values
• Stonsy, S. (2021). Anger in the Age of Entitlement How Much Do You Value Yourself? Https://Www.Psychologytoday.Com/Us/Blog/Anger-in-the-Age-Entitlement/201406/How-Much-Do-You-Value-Yourself

• What Is Joy and What Does it Say About Us? - Psychology Today

• Maintaining (and Promoting) Mental and Emotional Wellness with an Abundance of Kindness (.pdf)
• How to create happiness - Mayo Clinic Health System

• One way to live a long and healthy life? Live a 'Blue Zone' Lifestyle
• Blue Zones: Live Longer, Better

• SUN Program: Inside Higher Ed Article
• SUN Program: Quick Self-Care Assessment (.pdf)
• SUN Program: How to Create an Individualized Self-Care Plan (.pdf)

• Compassion toward others and self-compassion predict mental and physical well-being: a 5-year longitudinal study of 1090 community-dwelling adults across the lifespan - Translational Psychiatry
• Cultivating Compassion for Others - Psychology Today
• Self-Compassion - with Kristin Neff
• Guided 12-minute Practice for Self-Kindness
• Guided 12-minute Practice for Stress
• Educators: You Have Permission to Take Care of Yourself, Right Now

Eating

• Smart Nutrition 101: Healthy Eating

Exercise

• Center for Disease Control: The Benefits of Physical Activity  
• Mayo Clinic, Fitness Basics
• Mayo Clinic, Exercise: 7 benefits of regular physical activity 
• Scientific American, Does Exercise Really Make You Healthier?
• Scientific American Mind: Why Does Exercise Make Us Feel Good?  
• Harvard Medical School Health Publications, Regular exercise changes the brain to improve memory, thinking skills

• 5 simple steps to practising shinrin-yoku (forest bathing)
• Your Guide to Forest Bathing - by M. Amos Clifford
• Connecting Kids to Nature - Take a Dip into Forest Bathing (.pdf)

• Self-Care for the Holiday Season
• Lessons from the past can help us approach difficult periods with hope
• Self-care tips for moms
• 8 Ways To Have More Gratitude Every Day (.pdf)

• Self-Care and Gratitude: How They Go Hand in Hand

• What are the benefits of mindfulness?
• Getting Started with Mindfulness
• Mayo Clinic Relaxation Meditation Video
• Most Surprising Way to Increase Employee Well-Being and Productivity: Meditation and Mindfulness 
• UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center: Free Guided Meditations
• 60 Minutes Explores the Rise of Mindfulness 

• Social Justice Belongs In Our Schools | Sydney Chaffee | TEDxBeaconStreet
• Read about Connecting Kids to Nature - Take a Dip into Forest Bathing (.pdf)
• Malene Kai Bell, M.A., Founder and Practitioner at S.A.G.E. Wellness. “S.A.G.E. imagines a world where schools are loving spaces for children. For this vision to manifest, it is imperative that we support the well-being of educators and staff who take care of our children.” For more information go to www.wellbeingforteachers.com

• Safety Information from the CSUN Department of Police Services
• Emergency Management - includes first aid and earthquake preparedness

CSUN Math Camp Projects - results

Home | Mindfulness at Our School: Diane Gehart shares how schools can develop a cost-effective mindfulness program. 

Sample School and Certificate Mindfulness Programs

• The Quiet Time Program 
• CARE for Teachers 
• SMART in Education 
• Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction Programs 
• Calm Schools Initiative 
• The Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program  
• The Mindful Schools Year-Long Certification Program 
• Mindful Life Schools Weekly Wellness Program For Individual Teachers

Below are a few self-care resources for those involved with advocacy and dealing with political issues:

• Meditations for Election and Post-Election Stress
• NASP Guidance for Reinforcing Positive Environments for all Students
• Top 5 Ways to Overcome Discrimination

In general, try to

• Unplug - Limit your consumption of media, particularly the 24-hour news cycle and social media.
• Be present - Take time to just be in the moment, not constantly projecting into an unforeseen future, with mindfulness meditation.
• Find a healthy escape - Do something engaging or energizing such as exercise, dance, journal, listen to music.
• Connect - Be aware of your emotions, give yourself permission to feel the way you do, and then share with supportive friends and allies. 
• Refuel- Get enough rest, eat well, and drink water.
• Do something positive - Channel what you are feeling into positive activity and advocacy for change (see EPC Social Justice).

We don’t always have time to schedule activities that offer ways to take care of ourselves. So what to do? There are lots of options for self-care in our personal world, including self-care applications on our cell phones, which offer a wide range of self-care supports.  Check out these great apps, mostly free and for both iPhones and Androids, and see what works for you! We’ve included a brief description from the manufacturer and the website link for more information.

• Insight Timer  With beautiful Tibetan singing bowls and a dynamic worldwide meditation community, Insight Timer is the fun, connected way to support your meditation practice. View others meditating with you all over the world. Guided meditation practices available. Available for iPhone, Android, and iPad.

• Pocket Yoga  Practice yoga anywhere at any time with this easy to use app. Available for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, and Windows 8.

• Myfitnesspal  The best way to lose weight and keep it off is to simply keep track of the foods you eat. Gimmicky machines and fad diets don't work, so we designed a free website and mobile apps that make calorie counting and food tracking easy. 

• Pacer  Pedometer plus Weight and BMI Management and Blood Pressure Tracker

• Sleep Pillow  With this app you'll sleep tonight, guaranteed.
Its the most effective & highest quality sleep app, with over 5,400,00 happy customers. For both iPhone and iPad. 
• Sleep Cycle  Waking up easy is all about timing. Sleep Cycle alarm clock tracks your sleep patterns and wakes you up during light sleep. Waking up during light sleep feels like waking up naturally rested without an alarm clock.
  

• Vivino  Never forget another wine! Our app and wine community offer an up-to-date catalog with prices, stores, regions, grapes and reviews. Take a photo of the wine bottle and get instant information and ratings. For iPhone and Android.

Self-care Books

The following books were recommended by SUN guides and facilitators. They are linked to Amazon for a quick overview of their contents, but can be found at many different book stores in your neighborhood and online. 

• The Mayo Clinic Guide to Stress-Free Living by Amit Sood, M.D.
• The Mayo Clinic Handbook for Happiness: A Four-Step Plan for Resilient Living by Amit Sood, M.D., and Mayo Clinic 
• The Developing Mind: How Relationships and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are by Daniel J. Siegel, M.D.

• Kitchen Table Wisdom: Stories that Heal by Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D.
• Chicken Soup for the Soul by Jack Canfield

• The Heart of Meditation by the Fourteenth Dalai Lama and Jeffrey Hopkins
• Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life by Thich Nhat Hanh
• Silence: The Power of Quiet in a World Full of Noise by Thich Nhat Hanh

• The Tao of Joy Every Day by Derek Lin
• 8 Habits of Love: Overcome Fear and Transform Your Life by Ed Bacon
• The Unbearable Wholeness of Being: God, Evolution and the Power of Love by Ilia Delio

References

• Mindfulness and Leadership, Insights and Benefits - by Tina Thompson
• We were made for these times - Clarissa Pinkola Estes 
• Toward a Culture of Self-Care - Carolyn Jeffries, Michael Spagna and Shari Tarver Behring

• APA: Mentoring and Self-Care
• UB School of Social Work Self-Care Starter Kit

• NIH Brain Basics: Understanding Sleep
• Sleep Cycle App and Waking Up Easy
• National Sleep Foundation: Healthy Sleep Tips
• National Sleep Foundation: Napping  
• NCBI: The effects of napping on cognitive functioning

• Stress effects on the body - American Psychological Association
• Setting Boundaries: Self-Care or Selfish?
• Multidimensional Self-care
• How to Recharge in a Few Minutes a Day
• Self-Love Is Self-Care
• Relaxation techniques: Breath control helps quell errant stress response
• Self-care and insomnia during busy times
• Transform Labor Day Into a Leisure Day

• 6 Science-Based Self-Care Tips

• For Teachers: Building Resilience Starts with Self-Care
• Forget Those Long Hours: Self-Care Drives Success
• What You Need to Know About Stress and Self-Care
• 101 ways ultimate ways to chill out and reduce stress
• Tips to Reduce and Manage Job and Workplace Stress
• What's in and out in the world of workplace perks
• Mayo Clinic: Stress Management
• Keeping Burnout at Bay - Engaging Self-Care Practice to Protect Against Career Burnout and Compassion Fatigue
• Keeping Burnout at Bay resource packet

• Vibroacoustic Therapy reduces stress for CSUN students - by Heidi Weinrich, The Sundial

How do we define travel? Any trip away from our normal routines and living spaces that gives us a new and different experience could be considered travel. 

We're inspired by a theme of "traveling for bliss" in the July/August issue of the National Geographic Traveler.  This issue features a perspective piece on travel in a discussion with the Dalai Lama, who believes "travel teaches trust, and trust leads to happy lives." When we travel, we have a chance to gain a wider perspective on life and share it with others. Other articles in this issue describe places where travelers can experience bliss though various types of wellness and self-care activities: walking in exotic locations, yoga and meditation retreats, enjoying a nature trip in the forest, or visiting locations focused on healing, such as healing waters.  And, blissful travel always includes traveling with loved ones to special locations. 

Below we've listed special travel places, apps, and experiences that COE faculty and staff have found lead to positive self-care experiences for them, including local areas to visit. May your travels be full of bliss!

Favorite Travel Apps

• Hotel Tonight allows you to find really good deals on great hotels locally and all over the world. You first open the app on your computer than it sends the app to your phone. It's addictive! 

• GateGuru is a leading day-of-travel app that covers over 204 airports across the world. It allows you to view your itineraries, travel stats, airport security wait times and airport food, shops, and services including reviews, tips, and photos from fellow travelers on airports, terminals, and airport amenities!

Favorite Local Travel Activities

• Free Events in LA  Check out free LA festivals, concerts, outdoor movie nights, street fairs, hikes, and more!
• Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens  Check out their calendar for events, exhibitions, classes, tours, and concerts! 
• Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Gardens Check out their events list for information on bird walks, open house dates, and garden concerts!

Favorite Travel Locations

• Catalina Island is "a world apart from the hustle and bustle of the mainland just 22 miles away." There are lots of activities from which to choose to create your own personal self-care experience: spa treatments, zip line, museum exhibits, island tours, hiking, swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, golfing, fishing, wine tasting,...

• Sycamore Mineral Springs in Avila Beach by San Luis Obispo. Hotel and spa are located in a sycamore grove close to the beach with hot tubs on the patio of every room, massage, yoga hut, restaurant. Farmers market and great fish restaurants within a couple of miles. Look for specials on their website. 

Favorite Travel Self-care Sites  

How to Practice Self-care When Traveling

Self-care While Traveling: What to Pack

The Michael D. Eisner College of Education recognizes the importance of students practicing self care, in addition to faculty and staff. Navigating personal and professional issues and finding a healthy work/school/life balance can be difficult. Please see the student self-care resources page to help you manage your stress, find support, and succeed.

• Yoga at Your Desk with Marydale Hahn Pecora

• CSUN Civil Discourse & Social Change
• Social Justice - Department of Educational Psychology & Counseling Diversity Committee
• Self-care Can Be Social Justice - Justice For Change

• Self-Care: 12 Ways to Take Better Care of Yourself

• 5 spring self-care tips, using the Nordic concept of koselig

Gender Inclusive Schools FAQs - National Association of School Psychologists

Pride Month - American Counseling Association

• Tending Ourselves: Self-Care Strategies for Sustainable Work-Life Balance
• The Best Way to Find Balance in Your Life
• The Adaptive Mind
• Self Care and Lifestyle Balance Inventory

• Finding Your Way Forward When the Path Is Not Clear - mindful.org

• The Health Benefits of Hope - Psychology Today

• 6 Tips for Increasing Social Support - Psychology Today

• Identifying and Preventing Compassion Fatigue: From Exhaustion to Empowerment - Mental Health Center

• Principles for Trauma-informed Teaching and Learning - Northern Illinois University