UMass Boston’s Human Resources Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides free confidential counseling, workshops on work life balance, and more via ComPsych GuidanceResources.
National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity: UMB is an institutional member of NCFDD. Joining is free and only requires entering a umb.edu email address. There are webinars and programs specifically geared toward helping academics develop daily writing habits that can improve one’s productivity and morale. The 14-Day Writing Challenge is “an opportunity for you to experiment with daily writing in a supportive environment.”
The National Institutes for Health (NIH) has NIH Wellness Toolkits which highlight evidence-based tips for living well and improving your health. There are toolkits for physical, social, emotional, and environmental wellness.
Also from NIH, Health Capsule: Manage Stress and Build Resilience from the NIH News in Health newsletter, October, 2020.
Medline Plus’ page How to Improve Mental Health
From the Ohio Department of Public Health: COVID-19 and Anxiety: Ways to Cope with Strong Feelings Related to COVID-19
Wellness resources from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC):
from Collins English Dictionary
n
1 the state or quality of being mindful
2 the practice of giving complete and non-judgmental attention to one's present experience, used as a stress-reduction technique
The concept of mindfulness is simple, but becoming a more mindful person requires commitment and practice. Here are some tips to help you get started:
Take some deep breaths. Breathe in through your nose to a count of 4, hold for 1 second and then exhale through the mouth to a count of 5. Repeat often.
Enjoy a stroll. As you walk, notice your breath and the sights and sounds around you. As thoughts and worries enter your mind, note them but then return to the present.
Practice mindful eating. Be aware of taste, textures and flavors in each bite, and listen to your body when you are hungry and full.
Find mindfulness resources in your local community, including yoga and meditation classes, mindfulness-based stress reduction programs and books.
The above is from MIndfulness Matters: Can Living in the Moment Improve Your Health? from the NIH News in Health newsletter, Jan 2012.
The UMB Mindfulness Resources page exists “to support our campus community to learn more about mindfulness and to apply mindfulness in their own lives.”
Mindfulness & Other Tools Guide from the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital’s Guide to Mental Health Resources for COVID-19.
COVID-19: Tips for Mindfulness & Coping with Anxiety, from the Mayo Clinic.
How mindfulness can help you cope during COVID-19, from Intermountain Healthcare in Nevada.
Mindfulness Practices: a collection of free mindfulness recordings from Ohio State Integrative Medicine at Ohio State University.