College of Education Self-Care

  • Participants at the self-care drum session
  • Sunset over water
  • Blue lens flares
  • Zen garden with rocks
  • Sunset over hills
  • Spiral staircase
  • Path through trees with autumn leaves

SUN Program

Welcome to our College of Education Self-care Initiative, informally called Self-care for U at Northridge, the SUN Program.

It is so wonderful that you are considering self-care as an important way to care for yourself and keep balance and health in your life. Self-care means taking responsibility for yourself to maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle at work and in your personal world through individually determined, proactive activities. You are at your best when you attend to yourself in equal measure to others in day-to-day living! 

Self-Care News

Self-care and compassion during the pandemic

October 19, 2020

Sun

Self-compassion can help us get through this troubling time. As we become more and more weary from all that we have been dealing with during this pandemic- budget cuts; lack of safety; loss of family and friends; working virtually at home, especially difficult when with children who are young or need to attend school virtually; preparing to work on-site at schools; restricted life style; food and housing insecurity due to unemployment; loneliness; the unknown future -compassion for ourselves is absolutely necessary to survive. As we suffer from anti-Black racism and all racism, the stress over the election, and the effects from the recent California fires, we need self-compassion. Read more

Self-care and cell phone-life balance

October 12, 2020

Sun

Are cell phones a positive source in our lives or are they a harmful one? Some have argued that cell phones can give us tech neck and eye strain, and can have detrimental effects on our attention span and memory. However, based on findings from his study, UCI postdoctoral scholar John Hunter would argue that “smartphone interaction and mobile health applications can reduce stress, alleviate health disparities, and boost positive emotion.”  Read more

Self-care and sustainability of our earth

October 5, 2020

The University Library

October is Sustainability month and a time to appreciate and feel gratitude for the beauty and gifts of our natural world. CSUN will offer a wonderful series of virtual events in celebration of sustainability month, expanding the meaning of sustainability to encompass all that is connected to it. In recognition of people, planet, and power, “this series will mobilize and inspire students to help solve the many challenges our country faces—from systemic racism to climate change—through civic engagement, community organizing, and individual actions.” Read more

Self-care: "Surge Capacity" depletion and why we feel awful

September 28, 2020

Sun

We have just past the sixth month mark in the pandemic, and this milestone is wearing heavily on many. The thought that we likely face at least another six months can be even more daunting. So how is this ongoing crisis affecting us, and what can we do to take care of ourselves? Tara Haelle, in the online periodical Elemental, has written an article called “Your ‘Surge Capacity’ Is Depleted-It’s Why You Feel So Awful.” According to Haelle, “Surge capacity is a collection of adaptive systems — mental and physical — that humans draw on for short-term survival in acutely stressful situations, such as natural disasters.” Like a pandemic. And it seems that there is a limit to how much surge capacity we can sustain before it begins to take a heavy toll. Haelle shares her own real life experience about how she has been affected and why managing this time of “ambiguous loss often requires a bit of creativity.” So what are some creative ways to power on and be well during this  time of “indefinite uncertainty?” One way is to “begin slowly building your resilience bank account.” To find out more, this is an article that you will want to read! Big thanks go to Kim Goldberg-Roth, Executive Director of Strength United,  for sharing this enlightening article. Read more

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