MindSpa

Photo credit: Dale Preston ’83

Apps

These apps offer proven strategies to help you relax and cope with life challenges that can often be stressful and perplexing. Choose your calm and download for free.

• Calm - Offers guided meditation, relaxing music and sounds for sleep, videos on mindful movement and stretching, and images of nature
• COVID Coach - VA mobile app provides education about coping during the pandemic, self-care tools, and mood trackers
• Headspace - Features simple and easy to use guided meditations
• Recolor - Provides a high-quality coloring book with the complexity of coloring pages ranging from beginner to expert level
• Sanvello - Gives tools to help you manage stress, anxiety, and depression in a healthier way
• #SelfCare - Helps you virtually decompress by creating a self-care sanctuary and engaging in meaningful yet calming activities.

Meditation

Anyone can learn to meditate. It is a simple practice available to all. Meditation can reduce stress, increase calmness and clarity, and promote happiness. Learning how to meditate is straightforward and the benefits can be immediate.

Rain Meditation for Difficult Emotions Listen and learn about RAIN, a guided meditation to help you deal with difficult emotions.

Guided Meditations (in English and Spanish) Listen online and or download these guided meditations some set to music.

How to Meditate Read about the benefits of meditation and why it’s important for one’s well-being.

Music

Music is known to evoke powerful emotions and is an easy way to alter a mood or reduce stress. If you can’t get outdoors to hear the natural sounds of nature, try this music site. If you subscribe to a music streaming service, seach for ‘‘relaxing/calming’’ playlists. Headphones and earbuds optional.

• Calmsound – Listen to calming music for any mood you might be experiencing.

Interactive Activities

From blowing bubbles to intentional breathing, try these exercises to chill your mood and uplift your spirits.

• Breathe Bubble  - This 30-second breathing exercise is sure to provide instant relaxation.
• Self-Care Assessment Guide Q&A - Gauge your feelings and get helpful tips with this interactive flow chart.
• 4-7-8 Breathing Exercise  - Take a minute and learn to breathe the 4-7-8 way.

Photo credit: Greg Pendolino

Need to relax? Take a deep breath. Really. These videos and instructions will show you how.

• Body Scan
• Box Breathing
• Guided Imagery
• Progressive Muscle Relaxation
• Progressive Muscle Relaxation Explained

Yoga

From beginning to experienced, from the curious to the convinced, explore yoga moves and practice stretching exercises as a means to cope with stress and anxiety. Choose your instructor and watch.

• Yoga with Adriene
• Yoga with Kassandra

Grounding

This technique helps keep someone in the present instead of dissociating, daydreaming, becoming distracted, or shutting down. Learn ways to keep yourself in the moment.

• Introduction to Grounding : Free online course by Therapy in a Nutshell
• How to use Grounding Techniques : An introduction video by Kati Morton
• Sensory Grounding Exercises : Use your senses for these simple activities

Photo credit: Yevhen Gulenko

Listen to an array of audio files that feature serious and funny conversations about the coronavirus; tips to make your life happier; a collection of Oprah’s conversations with thought leaders and spiritual luminaries; a mental health happy hour, and more! Check for access via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeart, Pandora, Google, Castbox, or other provider.

• The Hilarious World of Depression - Frank, moving, yet funny conversations with top comedians who have dealt with depression and learned to laugh.
• The Struggle Bus - A biweekly advice show about mental health, self-care, and just getting through the day.
• Happier - Ideas and tips for making your life happier.
• Anxiety Slayer - This award-winning podcast is a leading resource for those who suffer from anxiety, panic attacks, stress, and PTSD.
• SuperSoul Conversations - Hear Oprah’s personal selection of her conversations with thought-leaders, authors, spiritual luminaries, and health and wellness experts.
• Unlocking Us - Join researcher and author Brené Brown as she unpacks the ideas, stories, experiences, books, films, and music that reflect the universal experiences of being human.
• Speaking of Psychology - This series by the American Psychological Association addresses various psychology-related research being conducted today.
• Mental Illness Happy Hour - A weekly series featuring interviews with comedians, artists, doctors, and others who explore mental illness, trauma, addiction, and negative thinking.
• Therapy Chat - Emotions and well being are the focus of these chats as guests discuss holistic and alternative approaches used in psychotherapy, counseling, coaching, and healing sessions.
• Emotional Badass - Emotional education is the theme of this series designed for survivors, thrivers, seekers, healers, highly sensitive people, and empaths.

Photo credit: Yevhen Gulenko

Having a safe, nurturing community, whether in person or virtual, is important to one’s overall well-being. Check out these podcasts, online resource guides, and more.

• Therapy for Black Girls Podcast
  A weekly chat led by Dr. Joy Harden Bradford about all things mental health and personal development
• GirlTrek
  Take a walk. Join an inspiring health movement specifically for black women

Photo credit: Greg Pendolino

These series of guided meditations and exercises can help you find compassion and inner refuge as you seek ways to manage stress, fear, and anxiety—all natural responses to this pandemic and other disruptive moments. Download and or watch the videos.

Coronavirus Sanity Guide
Coronavirus Anxiety Workbook
Pandemic Care Resources

Stay Connected, Stay Informed

Use these online resources and activities to remain connected to friends, family, and others important to you.

• Staying Connected While Practicing Social Distancing
  Site provides online resources for social connection
• Staying Connected While Staying Home
  Blog offers activities one can do while at home  
• The Social Connection Planner
  Booklet offers insights to help you better meet your social needs

News Articles and News Sites

Read up on some of the latest articles about ways to live a healthy life (mind, body, emotions, spirit) during and after the pandemic and other crisis situations.

• Psychology Today
  Self-care & Covid-19 - Getting Ready for the Marathon
• The Conversation
  Feeling Overwhelmed? Approach Coronavirus as a Challenge to be Met
• Mindful
  Six Daily Questions to Ask Yourself While Social Distancing