College of Education Self-Care

  • Sunset over water
  • Blue lens flares
  • Zen garden with rocks
  • Sunset over hills
  • Spiral staircase
  • Path through trees with autumn leaves

SUN Program

Welcome to our College of Education Self-care Initiative, informally called Self-care for U at Northridge, the SUN Program.

It is so wonderful that you are considering self-care as an important way to care for yourself and keep balance and health in your life. Self-care means taking responsibility for yourself to maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle at work and in your personal world through individually determined, proactive activities. You are at your best when you attend to yourself in equal measure to others in day-to-day living! 

Self-Care News

Self-care and nature

July 28, 2025

Sun logo

Isn’t nature glorious right now? In the glowing sunlit green of summer, we can feel the benefits of the natural world around us. So, what are these benefits? “Psychological research is advancing our understanding of how time in nature can improve our mental health and sharpen our cognition, “ writes Kristin Weir in a recent American Psychology Monitor blog. Read more

Self-care and social support

July 21, 2025

Sun logo

Staying connected to others who support us is essential for our mental and physical wellbeing. “Broadly speaking, social support refers to helping behaviors, feelings of comfort, and appreciation shared within a network of individuals. More specifically, social support is defined as the perception that we are loved, cared for, and valued by others, and are part of a network of other individuals we exchange mutual support with” (Wills, 1991). According to Courtney Beard, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, “Strong social support is linked to better physical and mental health, and better recovery from trauma.” Read more

Self-care and Mindfulness

July 7, 2025

The University Library

In this upside-down world that we are currently in, let’s return to the benefits of mindfulness thinking. Mindfulness is the awareness that arises by paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, and remaining nonjudgmental. Mindfulness can be used for coping with the stressors of everyday life. An American Psychological Association Monitor article has identified the empirically based benefits of mindfulness to include: reduced rumination; stress reduction; boosts in working memory; an increased ability to focus attention and suppress distracting information; less emotional reactivity; more cognitive flexibility; greater ability to respond well to relationship stress and the skill in communicating one's emotions to a partner; help with reducing psychological distress and fear. Read more

Self-care and Juneteenth

June 23, 2025

Sun logo

Last week on June 19th, California celebrated Juneteenth as an officially recognized federal holiday created by the US Congress to mark the day slaves in Texas were informed of their freedom. It’s important to understand the history of Juneteenth as a critical time for not just Black Americans, but for all Americans. A resource provided by the National Museum of African American History and Culture offers important information about the origins and importance of this holiday as a way for us to engage in caring for the wellbeing of our Black community and for our own depth of understanding. Read more

Pages

Subscribe to Latest News