Self-care

Physical self-care includes how you're fueling your body, how much sleep you're getting, how much physical activity you are doing, and how well you're caring for your physical needs. Attending appointments, taking medication as prescribed, and managing your health are all part of good physical self-care.

1. • Questions to ask yourself to assess your physical self-care:

     1. Are you getting adequate sleep? 

     2. Is your diet fueling your body well? 

     3. Are you taking charge of your health? 

     4. Are you getting enough exercise?

Mental self-care includes doing things that keep your mind engaged such as puzzles, learning about a subject that fascinates you, reading books, watching movies, etc.

1. • Questions to ask yourself to assess your mental self-care:

     1. Are you making enough time for activities that mentally stimulate you? 

     2. Are you doing proactive things to help you stay mentally healthy?

     3. Do you feel uninspired or mentally fatigued?

Emotional self-care may include activities that help you acknowledge and express your feelings on a regular basis.

1. • Questions to ask yourself to assess your emotional self-care:

     1. Do you have healthy ways to process your emotions? 

     2. Do you incorporate activities into your life that help you feel emotionally recharged?

     3. Are you having negative/intrusive thoughts?

     4. Are you experiencing negative feelings that seemingly come out of nowhere?

Spiritual* work may include, but is not limited to, the practice of religion. It can involve anything that helps you develop a deeper sense of meaning, understanding, or connection with the universe.

1. • Questions to ask yourself to assess your spiritual self-care:

     1. What questions do you ask yourself about your life and experience? 

     2. Are you engaging in spiritual practices that you find fulfilling?

     3. If you are a member of an organized religion, have you kept up with your practice/attend regular services?

*We understand that attending religious services in-person is not recommended during COVID-19. While social-distancing is in effect, you can reach out to your community and see what other worship options are available. This is a difficult time for everyone so you may need to increase other self-care efforts until it is safe to gather in person again. 

Socialization* is key to self-care but it is often hard to make time for family/friends and it's easy to neglect your relationships when life gets busy. Close connections are important to your well-being. The best way to cultivate and maintain close relationships is to put time and energy into building your relationships with others.

1. • Questions to ask yourself to assess your social self-care:

     1. Are you getting enough face-to-face time with your friends? 

     2. What are you doing to nurture your relationships with friends and family?

*We understand that socialization is very difficult during COVID-19. While it may not be possible to see others in-person during social-distancing, there are other opportunities for social connection such as regularly scheduled phone calls/face-time calls, email/letter exchanges, group chat messages, and digital applications that allow you to watch movies/listen to music simultaneously. This is a difficult time for everyone so you may need to increase other self-care efforts until it is safe to gather in person again. 

Self-care during difficult times

Self-care techniques for stress relief

1. Meditation (tips from Brown)

2. Stimulation/distraction (crossword, video game, reading the paper, etc.)

3. Grounding techniques (quick mental task: counting down from 10, naming all the objects you can that start with a specific letter, e.g. all the foods that begin with “P.”)

1. 1. Relaxation

   2. Breath work (examples here, app here)

   3. Sleep (CDC recommendation: 6-8 hours of sleep every night for adults)

   4. Exercise (CDC recommendation: 30 minutes at least 4 days per week)

1. 1. Attend a virtual event

   2. Take part in a Brown Takes Care activity

   3. Set up a virtual coffee break or happy hour with your collogues

   4. Join the Advancement Sunshine Club and celebrate monthly birthdays (to join, email: rochelle_ives@brown.edu)

The following topics can make self-care feel challenging. Please know that you are not alone in experiencing these issues. There are always other options available. When in doubt, ask a mental health professional for additional tips.

1. 1. Ableism: A lot of modern self-care techniques are rooted in physical activities that may not be possible for all bodies. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 1 in 5 Americans has a disability. If a technique won't work for you, that's okay! You can eliminate or modify any physical activity as needed. Self-care is rooted in caring for the individual self so do what works best for you, whatever that may look like.

   2. Capitalism: While certain supplies or subscriptions can come at a cost, the practice of self-care is free. You do not need to purchase anything or spend any money to practice good self-care.

   3. Time: Even when you feel like you don't have time to squeeze in one more thing, make self-care a priority. When you're caring for all aspects of yourself, you'll find that you are able to operate more effectively and efficiently.

   4. Stigma: It is not selfish to take care of yourself. You do not need to feel guilt for practice self-care. 

   5. Excuse to tune out: Some self-care activities can feel as though you are "tuning out" or "turning off" but they are the opposite: you are turning inward. Taking time for yourself is just as important as devoting time to something else. It is a good practice to speak to/about yourself the way you would about others. If you would not chastise a friend for practicing self-care, do the same for yourself.

   6. COVID-19: Increased fear, isolation, and social-distancing can pose a challenge for all aspects of self-care. You can find tips on how to deal with the effects of COVID-19 as it relates to self-care practices here.

The best practice for good mental health is to make it a part of your regular routine. You do not have to wait until you experience a problem to see a mental health professional in the same way you do not have to be sick to see a doctor. You should seek immediate help if you:

• • Experience prolonged feelings that are not influenced by outside forces

  • Experience panic attacks or PTSD symptoms

  • Have any questions about mental health or relating to specific thoughts or feelings

Anxiety is an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes (such as increased blood pressure).

Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion brought on by prolonged or repeated stress. It is characterized by three dimensions: (1) feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion, (2) increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job, and (3) reduced professional efficacy. Burnout refers specifically to phenomena in the occupational context and should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life. 

The Fight-Flight-Freeze response (or acute stress response) is the physical reaction of the body's autonomic nervous system to dangerous situations. It is a physiological reaction that occurs in response to a perceived harmful event, attack, or threat to survival. Common physical responses are to fight the threat, flee from the threat, or freeze in response to the threat. 

A flashback, or involuntary recurrent memory, is a psychological phenomenon in which an individual has a sudden, usually powerful, re-experiencing of a past experience (or elements of a past experience) 

Panic is a state of acute/extreme anxiety or a sudden, overpowering feeling of fear. 

A panic attack is a sudden, intense wave of fear or anxiety based on a perceived threat rather than imminent danger. It is characterized by its unexpectedness and debilitating, immobilizing intensity. Most of the symptoms of a panic attack are physical and often so severe that those experiencing them may believe they are having a heart attack. Physical symptoms often include: increased heart rate, sweating, trembling or shaking, shortness of breath, chills, hot flashes, nausea, abdominal cramping, chest pain, headache, dizziness, lightheadedness, incontrollable crying, and/or feeling of unreality or detachment. A panic attack may be a one-time occurrence, although many people experience repeat episodes.

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that can develop after a person is exposed to a traumatic event. Symptoms may include disturbing thoughts, feelings, or dreams related to the events, mental or physical distress to trauma-related cues, attempts to avoid trauma-related cues, alterations in how a person thinks and feels, and an increase in the fight-or-flight response. 

Secondary Traumatic Stress (or Secondary Trauma) can occur when an individual is exposed to people who have been traumatized themselves, disturbing descriptions of traumatic events by a survivor, or others inflicting cruelty on one another. Symptoms of secondary trauma are similar to those of PTSD (e.g. intrusive re-experiencing of the traumatic material, avoidance of trauma triggers/emotions, negative changes in beliefs and feelings). Simply, Secondary Trauma is being exposed to something so traumatic, it causes trauma to the listener. 

Self-care is any conscious act one takes in order to promote their own physical, mental, and emotional health. It is a broad concept encompassing hygiene, nutrition, lifestyle, environmental factors (living conditions, social habits, etc.) socio-economic factors (income level, cultural beliefs, etc.), and self-medication. 

In a medical or biological context, stress is a physical, mental, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension. Stresses can be external (from the environment, psychological, or social situations) or internal (illness or resulting from a medical procedure). This often initiates a fight-flight-freeze response. 

Trauma is serious injury to the body, as from physical violence or an accident, and/or severe emotional or mental distress caused by an experience. 

A trigger is something that sets off a PTSD episode or flashback, transporting the person back to the event of their original trauma. 

Vicarious Traumatization (or Vicarious Trauma) is a transformation in the self of a trauma worker or helper that results from empathic engagement with traumatized clients and their reports of traumatic experiences. It is a special form of countertransference stimulated by exposure to the client's traumatic material. Simply, Vicarious Trauma is being so empathetic to those who experienced trauma, that those feelings are embodied by the listener. These terms are frequently used interchangeably to refer to the indirect trauma that can occur when we are exposed to difficult or disturbing images and stories second-hand. 

You don't need to be experiencing a crisis to contact a crisis hotline. At most of these hotlines, the volunteers and counselors who answer calls, texts and chat messages are trained to help someone in crisis. But you can also reach out if you're feeling sad, anxious or stressed and don't know where to turn. 

These hotlines also serve friends, family members and loved ones of someone who is experiencing a mental health crisis, domestic violence, abuse, addiction and many other issues. 

Even if someone at a crisis hotline cannot help you with your specific needs, they can point you to the right resources that can. No one will ever make you feel bad for trying to get help, and no concern is too trivial or small. If it feels hard for you to manage, it's worth reaching out. (All services below are available 27/7 unless otherwise noted.)

• National Suicide Prevention Hotline — 1-800-273-8255 

• Crisis Text Line — Text Hello to 741741 

• YouthLine — Text teen2teen to 839863, or call 1-877-968-8491 

• Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline — 1-800-422-4453 

• National Domestic Violence Hotline — 1-800-799-7233 

• National Deaf Domestic Violence Hotline — 1-855-812-1001 

• RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) — 1-800-656-4673 

• The Trevor Project — 1-866-488-7386 or text START to 678678 (for LGBTQ+ youth)

• Trans Lifeline — 1-877-565-8860 (for transgender and questioning callers, run by trans people)

• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline — 1-800-662-4357 

• Veterans Crisis Line — 1-800-273-8255, Press 1

Mindfulness Center

Counseling and Psychological Services

Wellness Resources for Staff

You can consult your insurance provider to provide a list of available, in-network doctors. You can also search for a provider using the tools below:

• Find a therapist tool via Psychology Today

• Talkspace: online and mobile therapy (Here are some tips for starting virtual therapy)

• Therapy for Black Girls

• Therapy for Black Men

• LGBTQ+ Therapist Locator

• Inclusive Therapists: focusing on the needs of marginalized groups

• Open Path Collective: focusing on affordable rates and a wide range of genders, ethnicities, and identities 

Mental Health Association of Rhode Island

Massachusetts Association for Mental Health 

Mental Health America in California