{"id":1821,"date":"2020-05-05T11:58:29","date_gmt":"2020-05-05T16:58:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/?p=1821"},"modified":"2020-08-06T12:16:35","modified_gmt":"2020-08-06T17:16:35","slug":"resources-for-self-care-while-working-from-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/resources-for-self-care-while-working-from-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Resources for Self-Care While Working from Home"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>This piece is a companion to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/coping-with-stress-during-the-covid-19-pandemic\/\">post<\/a>\u00a0by Kiara Gomez on coping with stress during the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>We&#8217;ve been working from home for over six weeks&#8211;I hope everyone is settling into working, learning, and teaching from home. This is a difficult time for all of us and will be affecting everyone differently. We at Science Y\u2019all have been thinking of ways we can have a helpful impact, so <strong>here we\u2019ve compiled a list of resources for self-care during this unusual time<\/strong>. You\u2019ll also find a list of resources on ways we can help, as we know the sense of helplessness* during this time can be overwhelming. I\u2019ve categorized the list into 1) Resources for Staying in Touch, 2) Resources for De-stressing, and 3) Resources for Helping Others. <strong>The resources are linked within the post<\/strong>, but a right-click will display the address if you prefer or need to copy and paste to share specific resources.<\/p>\n<p>*<strong>If the symptoms of stress and anxiety impair your ability to function, please speak to an experienced <\/strong><strong>mental health professional. The UT Counseling and Mental Health Center (CMHC) is continuing to provide services over the phone. For more information please visit:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cmhc.utexas.edu\/\">https:\/\/www.cmhc.utexas.edu\/<\/a><\/li>\n<li>or call\u00a0512-471-3515 (available Monday-Friday, 8:00am &#8211; 5:00pm),<\/li>\n<li>or call their Crisis Line at (512) 471-2255 (available 24\/7).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">____________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1850\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1850\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1850 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/files\/Adobe-Stock_work-from-home2-1024x662.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"414\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1850\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image from Adobe Stock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3><strong>1) Resources for Staying in Touch<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>&#8220;Maintaining social networks can foster a sense of normality and provide valuable outlets for sharing feelings and relieving stress.&#8221; &#8211; American Psychological Association<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Schedule regular calls<\/strong> with friends and family using FaceTime, Skype, Zoom, or other video-calling options.\u00a0This is also a great time to catch up with old friends you haven\u2019t spoken to in a while.\n<ul>\n<li>You could even plan a virtual dinner party (or karaoke night?) using FaceTime or a video-conferencing tool.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Start a text \/email chain <\/strong>with friends with articles or books to read, videos to watch, podcasts to listen to, songs to listen to, etc.\n<ul>\n<li>You may even want to start up a virtual book or movie club, weekly gaming hour(s), or do other activities\/hobbies at the same time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Play online games<\/strong> with friends:\n<ul>\n<li>Obviously, there are the usual avenues if you have a gaming console connected to the internet (e.g., Xbox Live or Playstation Network).<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/app.houseparty.com\/login\">Houseparty<\/a> is an app you can use to communicate and play party games.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zynga.com\/games\/words-with-friends-2\/\">Words with Friends<\/a> is a good game to get started on with your friends and family.<\/li>\n<li>A <a href=\"https:\/\/pretendyoure.xyz\/zy\/\">free, online, cards against humanity -style game. <\/a>(still in beta).<\/li>\n<li>You can download and play a whole range of free (+ paid) games from <a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/\">Steam<\/a>\u00a0and the <a href=\"https:\/\/boardgamearena.com\/\">Board Game Arena<\/a>, in both single player, multiplayer, and remote play-together options.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Start watching<\/strong> TV shows\/movies\/podcasts\/live streamed concerts at the same time with friends:\n<ul>\n<li>Try <a href=\"https:\/\/www.netflixparty.com\/\">Netflix Party<\/a>.\u00a0(As of now, this app only runs as an extension on the Google Chrome browser).<\/li>\n<li>Remember &#8211; You can get a 30-day free trial of Netflix, 6-months free of Amazon Prime Student, and 1 free audiobook on Audible.<\/li>\n<li>Continue reading for suggestions of live-streamed concerts and virtual tours!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none\"><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">____________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1863\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1863\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1863 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/files\/Mandala_MF1-1024x586.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"366\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1863\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mandala colored by Megan Flansburg (PhD 2022)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3><strong>2) <\/strong><strong>Resources for De-stressing <\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Take regular breaks<\/strong> from the news and social media.\n<ul>\n<li>Or at least, follow more accounts that make you feel good, if you have to keep up with news. (<a href=\"https:\/\/tasty.co\/\">Tasty<\/a> cooking videos, anyone?)<\/li>\n<li>If someone you follow is sharing posts that are inaccurate or perturbing, mute their posts.<\/li>\n<li>You may want to control your news intake by signing up to a daily newsletter on coronavirus, rather than browsing all day.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Have a routine.<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Try your best to keep to waking up, eating, and going to bed at the same time \u2013 this is standard advice you can practice all year round to help yourself feel healthier.<\/li>\n<li>Check out these work-from-home tips from experts, compiled in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ted.com\/playlists\/736\/how_to_get_into_a_work_from_home_mindset\">TED Talks playlist<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Eat Healthy. <\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>As above, this is important all-year round.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Practice deep breathing and meditation.<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Try these pointers from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.headspace.com\/meditation\/meditation-for-beginners\">Headspace<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Or these breathing exercises from <a href=\"https:\/\/healthland.time.com\/2012\/10\/08\/6-breathing-exercises-to-relax-in-10-minutes-or-less\/\">Time Magazine<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Move around.<\/strong> Physical activity produces stress-relieving hormones.\n<ul>\n<li><u>Yoga<\/u>: \u00a0GSEC are running weekly lunch yoga sessions, taught by a grad student \u2013 watch out for their emails. And, more yoga tutorials are available on YouTube!<\/li>\n<li><u>Exercise:<\/u> Here\u2019s a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.self.com\/gallery\/20-minute-no-equipment-total-body-workout\">no-equipment, full-body workout<\/a> you can easily do at home.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Do something that makes you feel good<\/strong>, at least once every day. Here are some suggestions:\n<ul>\n<li>Science Y&#8217;all&#8217;s pick of <strong>heartwarming videos<\/strong>:\n<ul>\n<li>The original wholesomeness to come out of isolation&#8211;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=DDRiINXik00\">Italians singing from their balconies<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=wl4m1Rqmq-Y\">DOGS<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=izRZxhqfk0Y\">CATS<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=wAEzpwvrveg\">PANDAS<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Fun virus music parodies, like these: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=8KPbJ0-DxTc\">Coronovirus Rhapsody<\/a>\u00a0 and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=3xt58OVnmXU\">Stay Home Vogue<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>See this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/furry-family-at-jsg\/\">wholesome Science Y&#8217;all post about pets<\/a> of the Jackson School!<\/li>\n<li><strong>Try coloring. <\/strong>We at Science Y\u2019all already find coloring in mandalas helpful for stress relief:\n<ul>\n<li>Here are <a href=\"http:\/\/www.supercoloring.com\/coloring-pages\/arts-culture\/mandala\">printable pages<\/a> to get you started. If you don\u2019t have a printer, this link has an option to color online, but there are also apps for that.<\/li>\n<li>The Danish artist HuskMitNavn is releasing <a href=\"https:\/\/huskmitnavn.dk\/\">\u201cdraw at home\u201d printables<\/a>. I&#8217;m sure other artists are doing this as well!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Get cultural.<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Use <a href=\"https:\/\/artsandculture.google.com\/\">Google Arts &amp; Culture<\/a> to take tours of museums, <a href=\"https:\/\/artsandculture.google.com\/partner\">galleries<\/a> and even\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/artsandculture.withgoogle.com\/en-us\/national-parks-service\/parks\">national parks.<\/a><\/li>\n<li>You could also use this opportunity to learn more about what interests you! <a href=\"https:\/\/www.titlemax.com\/discovery-center\/the-ultimate-road-trip\/most-popular-national-parks\/\">Here is a suggested article on National Parks and their statistics from one of our readers<\/a>* [updated Aug. 6, 2020]. *If this inspires you to take a trip, remember to plan the travel in a safe, socially-distanced fashion.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Tune in to live streamed concerts.<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.metopera.org\/\">Stream the Met Opera<\/a> for free from their website. Performances go live at 7:30 p.m. ET and remain active for 20 hours.\u00a0Also, consider donating to their emergency fund.<\/li>\n<li>Here\u2019s a full list of artists streaming concerts or fun stuff, compiled by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vulture.com\/2020\/03\/all-musicians-streaming-live-concerts.html\">VULTURE<\/a>. Scroll down that page to find <em>an individual day-to-day schedule, updated daily.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>And here\u2019s a link to the <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sofarsounds.com\/v\/listeningroom?om_campaign=omme_798a464a-d2a_25613_84595&amp;om_send=bb2ca0a8191e42c2b76a42221ab6af30&amp;utm_campaign=omme_798a464a-d2a_e_kl_gl_gl_en_schedule_3_30_20&amp;utm_content=central&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=ometria\">Sofar Sounds<\/a> <\/u>online listening room: ~30min FREE concerts are available live and on-demand from a range of artists. You can also donate directly to the artists, or go buy their EPs\/stash if you\u2019re able to!<\/li>\n<li>The YouTube channel <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCdmPjhKMaXNNeCr1FjuMvag\">the show must go on!<\/a> is releasing Andrew Lloyd-Webber musicals every Friday, available for 48-hrs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Play games<\/strong>. See our suggested single-player and multiplayer platforms above.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Pick up a new (or practice an old) hobby or skill.<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Start learning a new language using Duolingo or the web, such as this list on <a href=\"http:\/\/www.openculture.com\/freelanguagelessons?utm_source=salesforce&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=adhoc&amp;utm_content=AtHome\">Open Culture<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Start learning a new instrument, singing or dancing! There are plenty of YouTube tutorials out there to help you learn.\n<ul>\n<li>For example, Oti Mabuse is running <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=XSL0FPY_6ZI\">dance classes<\/a> for adults and kids alike.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Drawing, sketching, making collages, or painting.<\/li>\n<li>Baking and cooking \u2013 see <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/breadaheadbakery\/?hl=en\">@breadaheadbakery<\/a> on Instagram for live bake-along instructions at 9am CST<\/li>\n<li>Crafts like sewing, knitting, cross stitch, woodwork\/carpentry, (Amazon is still delivering if you need to procure materials). It\u2019s finally time to upcycle that old dress or cabinet! See <a href=\"https:\/\/www.creativebug.com\/?utm_source=salesforce&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=adhoc&amp;utm_content=AtHome\">creativebug<\/a> for inspiration.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Be there for others. <\/strong>(see above, and below)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">____________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1852\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1852\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1852 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/files\/Adobe-Stock_work-from-home-3-1024x535.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"334\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1852\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image from TED Talks playlist (linked above).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3><strong>3)\u00a0Resources for Helping Others<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Help with humanitarian aid<\/strong>, in any way you can.\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.buzzfeednews.com\/article\/tasneemnashrulla\/coronavirus-covid19-organizations-help-food-medical-aid\">Buzzfeed<\/a> recently compiled a list of organizations.<\/li>\n<li>And <a href=\"https:\/\/www.charitynavigator.org\/\">Charity Navigator\u00a0<\/a>is always a helpful guide.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Offer help in your community to those more vulnerable.\u00a0<\/strong>Search the web and social media for community groups in your area where you can offer your services.\n<ul>\n<li>E.g., find your neighborhood Facebook page, or alternatively your local \u201cbuy nothing\u201d project page \u2013 These are not groups specific to the crisis, but here people are offering services and items relevant to the COVID-19 outbreak, for their local area.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Support local businesses that are closed<\/strong> by buying gift cards for their online stores. (or buying from them if they are open \u2013 but take care to practice social distancing and hygiene!)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Share public health recommendations<\/strong> and updates within your personal networks and on social media.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Donate personal protective equipment<\/strong> (PPE) that you may have in the lab to the local hospital or via <a href=\"https:\/\/getusppe.org\/\">GetUsPPE.org<\/a>.\n<ul>\n<li>Some organizations are also running low on reagents and equipment, so consider donating if you can.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Donate your computing power<\/strong><strong> for COVID19 simulations. <\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/foldingathome.org\/2020\/03\/15\/coronavirus-what-were-doing-and-how-you-can-help-in-simple-terms\/\">Folding@Home<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>\u00a0<strong>Volunteer your skills <\/strong><strong>to help COVID-19 researchers or take on a COVID-19 challenge.<\/strong>\u00a0Tasks can include anything from transcribing data and annotating images, to creating a low-cost ventilator and machine learning challenges:\n<ul>\n<li>See and join the open-source <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/670932227050506\/announcements\/\">COVID-19 medical supplies Facebook group<\/a>, set up to \u201cevaluate, design, validate, and source the fabrication of open source emergency medical supplies\u201d.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.projectopenair.org\/\">Project Open Air<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/crowdfightcovid19.org\/\">Crowdfight COVID-19<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/datastudio.google.com\/u\/0\/reporting\/715dc546-0160-419d-976d-f87b219f2d5d\/page\/veXJB?fbclid=IwAR00IdW7AeIw46RUKiWsQYkqpkdGCzecbMQKKoS_NB7gKEi9Xc1MSFMhmFk\">COVID-19 Pandemic Shareable Scientist Response Database<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.agorize.com\/en\/challenges\/code-life-challenge\">Code Life Ventilator Challenge<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaggle.com\/allen-institute-for-ai\/CORD-19-research-challenge\">COVID-19 Open Research Dataset Challenge<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Volunteer to help answer questions<\/strong><strong> for<\/strong> specific COVID-19 ChatBots.\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.fas.org\/\">Ask-A-Scientist ChatBot<\/a> service from the Federation of American Scientists<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.newvoicesnasem.org\/jennifer-ai-chatbot\">Jennifer COVID-19 Chatbot<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Edit Wikipedia<\/strong><strong> pages related to COVID-19<\/strong>.\n<ul>\n<li>Create an account, see this <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wikipedia:Tutorial\">tutorial for beginners<\/a>, and add and\/or verify information on COVID-19 related pages.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Offer to help with teaching<\/strong><strong> virtually, and share your research virtually with families.<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Sign up for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.skypeascientist.com\/\">Skype A Scientist<\/a><u><\/u><\/li>\n<li>Edit and share this text on social media or directly with your friends\/family:<strong><br \/>\n<\/strong>\u201c<em>If you are remotely educating your children, if you need assistance with understanding something that has been assigned for your child or if you need more resources, just give me a shout. I <strong>have experience teaching [subject] <\/strong>and I\u2019ll be happy to answer questions to the best of my ability. I also have a good network of other lecturers and researchers so if I can\u2019t help odds are someone I know can! Just ask.<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/hashtag\/bettertogether?source=feed_text&amp;epa=HASHTAG\">#bettertogether<\/a>\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>Some of the ideas and information for this article was obtained from the following resources:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/farahqaiser\/2020\/03\/24\/10-ways-scientists-can-help-during-the-covid-19-coronavirus-pandemic\/#30017d17a901\">Forbes&#8211;10 Ways Scientists Can Help During COVID-19<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/nomanazish\/2020\/03\/24\/how-to-protect-your-mental-health-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic-according-to-psychologists\/#7988afd241cb\">Forbes&#8211;How to Protect Your Metnal Health During the Coronavirus Pandemic<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/namica.org\/ways-to-stay-connected-during-the-covid-19-crisis\/\">Nami California&#8211;Ways to Stay Connected<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mind.org.uk\/information-support\/coronavirus-and-your-wellbeing\/?utm_source=salesforce&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=adhoc&amp;utm_content=AtHome\">Mind&#8211;Coronavirus and Your Wellbeing<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This piece is a companion to a post\u00a0by Kiara Gomez on coping with stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. We&#8217;ve been working from home for over six weeks&#8211;I hope everyone is settling into working, learning, and teaching from home. This is a difficult time for all of us and will be&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":247,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1821","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-life"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1821","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/247"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1821"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1821\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1924,"href":"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1821\/revisions\/1924"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1821"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1821"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1821"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}