Resources for Practicing Self-Care Right Now

In June 2020, our team at Idealist held the third and final part of our Idealist Live series, Self-Care for Everybody. In this final event, I had the opportunity to moderate an honest and informative conversation with Holistic Life Foundation’s Ali Smith and Jessica Kennedy of Mental Health America.

In our hour together, we explored questions and challenges as they relate to self-care during the COVID-19 pandemic and atmosphere of national and international unrest. While it's been five years since this conversation first aired, I find many of the resources still useful and prevalent during any period of instability.

You’ll find plenty of useful information below, as well responses to some of the questions that came up during the event that we didn't have quite enough time to cover.

Self-care 101

Let’s start with the basics:

• Frequent exercise (even a few minutes a day) is related to lower levels of poor mood, anxiety, and substance-use disorders.
• 1/3 of people who improved diet and nutrition found full relief from depression.
• 1 in 3 Americans don’t sleep enough.
• People should aim for 7-9 hours of sleep each night. 
• The number of friendships you have early in your adult life and the closeness of those relationships can influence your wellbeing 30 years later.

Resources for BIPOC folks

• Loveland Foundation focuses on therapy for Black women and girls in their effort to bring opportunity and healing to communities of color.
• Melanin & Mental Health was born out of a desire to connect individuals with culturally competent clinicians committed to serving the mental health needs of Black & Latinx/Hispanic communities.
• Native Wellness Institute provides resources and trainings for Indigenous people concerned about their mental health, or looking for assistance with managing mental health.
• Therapy for Black Men notes that in the Black community, Black men are told to be strong, walk it off, don’t cry, and to man up. With TherapyForBlackMen.org, you do not have to go on this journey alone!
• Therapy for Latinx uses the latest technology to make it as easy as possible for people to find therapists, life coaches, emergency mental health centers, and free/low-cost community clinics.
• Well for Culture is a grassroots initiative which aims to reclaim and revitalize Indigenous health and wellness.

Resources for nonprofit professionals and those in the helping professions

• How to Cultivate Empathy in the Workplace During Difficult Times
• How to Address Vicarious Trauma in the Workplace
• Feeling Disconnected? How Employee Resource Groups Can Help
• 5 Tips to Keep Your Work Burnout from Affecting Relationships
• 5 Effective Habits for Working from Home
• Recognizing Compassion Fatigue in the Helping Professions
• Working from Home? How to Create Stronger Work-Life Boundaries

Additional resources

• Holistic Life Foundation workshops and trainings
• VIA Institute on Character’s Character Strengths survey offers you an comprehensive look at your top strengths, as well as how to utilize those strengths in new ways each day in order to find joy and flow.
• Free resources to support your mental health during difficult times and periods of instability.
• Mental Health America’s screening tool (y recursos en español)
• Afraid to Talk About Sensitive Topics at Work? Read this Guide First

Do you have any additional resources to lift up to the wider Idealist community? Drop them in the comments below!