College of Education Self-Care

  • Participants at the self-care drum session
  • Sunset over water
  • Blue lens flares
  • Zen garden with rocks
  • Sunset over hills
  • Spiral staircase
  • Path through trees with autumn leaves

Self-care and compassion during the pandemic

October 19, 2020

Dear MDECOE Community,

Self-compassion can help us get through this troubling time. As we become more and more weary from all that we have been dealing with during this pandemic- budget cuts; lack of safety; loss of family and friends; working virtually at home, especially difficult when with children who are young or need to attend school virtually; preparing to work on-site at schools; restricted life style; food and housing insecurity due to unemployment; loneliness; the unknown future -compassion for ourselves is absolutely necessary to survive. As we suffer from anti-Black racism and all racism, the stress over the election, and the effects from the recent California fires, we need self-compassion. Chris Germer and Kristin Neff, coauthors of The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook,have written a paper based on this workbook entitled10 Self-Compassion Practices to Help You Cope with the Coronavirus Pandemic. Kristin Neff, an Associate Professor in the University of Texas at Austin's Department of Educational Psychology, has studied and written extensively about self-compassion, and knows of which she speaks. She notes that self-compassion practice can be “a powerful recipe for regulating difficult emotions” and “an antidote to fear”. May the 10 practices for self-compassion below bring you some comfort and peace during this troubling time. https://www.guilford.com/add/10_SC_Practices_for_the_coronavirus.pdf

For a list of other self-care resources, go to our COE self-care website for self-care resources for faculty, staff, and COE students at:

https://www.csun.edu/eisner-education/self-care/articles-information-self-care

May you take time to give yourselves some self-compassion this week.

Warmly,
Shari and Josh