We would like to encourage you to practice self-care at this time. Self-care is those things we intentionally do to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical well-being. This means that self-care can look very different for different people. Some people have complex self-care routines and some of us are just beginning our journey of self-care.
For those of you who are starting to think about what is self-care for you or just looking for something new to try, your coaches have made some suggestions for some fun, free things you can do for yourself!
Clean Up Your Social Media Follows
Marie Kondo taught us all to keep only the items that spark joy and discard the items that don’t. Take the same philosophy to your social media follows! Are all of the accounts that you are following bringing you joy?
Check out these accounts instead!
- @collegeforward
- @firstgenprofessional
- @latinxtherapy
- @crazyheadcomics
- @therapyforblackgirls
- @realdepressionproject
- @justgirlproject
- @browngirltherapy
Visit a Virtual Museum
If you’re looking for a more educational form of self-care, definitely check out a virtual museum. I asked some of our Program Coordinators to share some of their favorite places for virtual museum visits, and they did not disappoint! The Vulture Couch Gallery Crawl has a comprehensive list of virtual museum crawls. I love the Met, so I would suggest that one.
- The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History was recommended by Blair. “You can see lots of current and past Smithsonian exhibits; I’ve always loved looking at the dinosaurs!”
- You can see all kinds of animals live on the Georgia Aquarium webpage, shares Meaghan. My favorites are the sea otter cam and the Barrier Reef one.”
- The Louvre in Paris is one of the most famous museums. They are holding free virtual tours for the time being. Amber recommends exploring Egyptian antiquities and travel to another era as you encounter the remains of the Louvre’s Moat in these comprehensive virtual tours.
Listen to a Podcast
If you’d like to learn is a less hands-on way, podcasts are great! Personally, I really like the NPR podcast, Invisibilia. This podcast explores the unseeable forces that control human behavior and shape our ideas, beliefs, and assumptions. Invisibilia—Latin for invisible things—fuses narrative storytelling with science that will make you see your own life differently. It’s informative and entertaining in equal measure, I feel like I learn something new about myself after I listen to an episode. But of course, my fellow PCs have some recommendations too!
- Blair suggests checking out Lore. “A podcast about peculiar history and folklore we’ve told each other through the years; a great way to learn about unexpected history with a little bit of spook!”
- Meaghan has two recommendations. First up is Vocal Fries, a podcast about language, culture, and more! Many of the episodes also have transcripts available. And next is Aria Code. “A really cool way to learn more about opera! They talk about famous arias (solos) with the stars who’ve sung them. The first episode has the iconic “Queen of the Night” aria from Mozart’s Magic Flute.”
- “Science Vs takes on fads, trends, and the opinionated mob to find out what’s fact, what’s not, and what’s somewhere in between,” shares Brandon.
- Victor suggested the TED Talks Daily podcast. “You’ll find some space in your day to change your perspectives, ignite your curiosity, and learn something new.”
Pinterest Plan Your Dream Vacation
Is there somewhere you have always wanted to go? Create a Pinterest board for your dream vacation. Whether you plan on going soon or never, taking a few hours to imagine yourself somewhere else can give you the break you need from the stress of daily life.
Listen to Your Favorite Playlist
Mya Angelou once said, “music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness.” If this resonates with you, check out these playlist recommendations the crew put together. My personal favorite is Metamorphosis I-V-. I love Philip Glass, and Metamorphosis is pretty much my favorite piece of instrumental music. I listen to as many versions as I can find, and I really love this interpretation by Olivia Belli.
Brandon: Lo-Fi Beats– “No lyrics, good music to chill out to.”
Nancy: Wake Up Gently– “Wake up in your own space with piano music”
Travis: Hip Hop Playlist– “Get right music. For when you need to get in the zone.”
- And last but not least, of course, DJ Victor would recommend nothing but The JAMS.
