videos
Erika Brockmann, Fall 2017; Faith Fitzgerald, Fall 2017; Cody Jaffe, Fall 2020; Piper Gazeley, Fall 2020; Angel Baron, Fall 2020; Sonya Springstead, Fall 2020; and Nayeli Ruiz, Fall 2020
“Small Ways to Practice Self-Care in Difficult Times” presented by Headspace.
This video is from Headspace, which is a company that has created a meditation app. Like a lot of Headspace’s content on their app, this video is a calm narration set to a simple animation, and was filmed in recent months, so it suggests ways to practice self-care in times of COVID, such as meditating, or emphasizing exercise and sleep. I find this video relaxing to listen to, and easy to relate to.
My Philosophy for a Happy Life”, presented by Sam Berns
In Sam Berns’ My Philosophy for a Happy Life TED talk he discusses his experience of living with progeria. Despite having this rare disease, he states he has a happy life, outlining his three principles that guide him to lead a fulfilling life. His motivational talk shows that it is one’s mindset above all else that determines their ability to lead a happy and fulfilling life.
Fitness Blender Home Workout YouTube Channel
This is a YouTube channel that offers free videos for people to do weight or cardio workouts at home. They currently have more than 300 videos on their channel designed for different types of workouts. Some of their workouts do not require any equipment, while others are designed to be utilized with dumbbells or other basic equipment.
Joshua Weissman’s Cooking YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/c/JoshuaWeissman/videos
Joshua Weissman’s YouTube channel provides many different videos on how to cook and bake different dishes. A highly skilled chef, Weissman puts out new videos weekly, about how to make many classic American dishes, as well as dishes from different cuisines.
Ask Doctor Jo YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/AskDoctorJo
Doctor Jo is a physical therapist whose YouTube channel provides various exercises and stretches to promote basic fitness and alleviate basic injuries. Her videos target different types of stretches and common injuries, as well as reviews of basic fitness equipment.
NPR Music YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4eYXhJI4-7wSWc8UNRwD4A
The NPR Music YouTube channel hosts Tiny Desk videos, as well as other live concert videos. Many fantastic musical artists have played either live shows or Tiny Desk Concerts, and often appear on the channel playing stripped down or alternative versions of their songs.
Justin Guitar YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBNkm8o5LiEVLxO8w0p2sfQ
Justin Sandercoe’s YouTube channel is a great resource for anyone to learn guitar. With videos from basic instruction to advanced techniques, Sandercoe’s videos are tailored for anyone of any skill level to improve their skills on guitar. In addition to the free videos on his YouTube site, Sandercoe runs his own website with free lessons and additional content such as information about music theory, ear training, and writing music.
“A self-care revolution” presented by Megan McCormick
McCormick makes an important note her video that it is not selfish to take care of ourselves. She then goes into three different ways that we can practice self-care to include self-talk, rituals, and optimism.
“Got a meeting? Take a walk” presented by Nilofer Merchant
This video presents the idea of taking a walk during a meeting instead of staying indoors.
“How to make stress your friend” presented by Kelly McGonicgal
In this video, McGonigal provides a new way to look at stress and how it can actually be beneficial. How we view stress plays a large part in how the body reacts to that stress. It is also important that we seek out other people in stressful times as it can have a positive effect on the body via oxytocin.
“In praise of slowness” presented by Carl Honore
Honore points out in this video the importance of slowing down in a fast paced world.
“Why dieting doesn’t usually work” presented by Sandra Aamodt
A lot of people have turned to dieting to lose weight in efforts to be healthier. In this video, Aamodt presents why dieting usually doesn’t work and a better alternative is to listen to your body and when it is hungry.
YouTube has a wide variety of fun, short videos that can provide a nice short break when studying. A favorite show of mine is “Good Mythical Morning“. See the following link for their YouTube homepage: https://www.youtube.com/user/rhettandlink2
The Mind-Body Connection video on Web MD. This informational video gives information on how the mind and body interact and the effects they can have on each other. https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/video/rippe-mind-body-connection
30 Days of Yoga With Adriene
This is a great 30-day yoga YouTube series. Yoga with Adriene also has various yoga videos that are specialized for different issues (back pain, strength building, deep stretch…).
Yoga with Adriene. (2020, January 1). Home – Day 1 – Recognize|30 Days of Yoga With Adriene [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=–jhKVdZOJM
Why Self Care isn’t Selfish
This is an enlightening TEDx talk that discusses how self-care is often overlooked and put to the side. It explains how being an adult means needing to intentionally care for and affirm ourselves in the same ways our caretakers nurtured us as children or the ways we care about and love our friends and family.
Brubaker, J. (2020). Why self care isn’t selfish[Video]. TED. https://www.ted.com/talks/jessica_brubaker_why_self_care_isn_t_selfish
How to Knit: Easy for Beginners
As someone who has always wanted to learn how to knit (which is a great activity for stress relief), I am excited to learn from this video. I think this would be a fun activity to do while watching videos for class!
RJ Knits. (2018, November 24). How to knit: Easy for beginners [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_R1UDsNOMk
Bob Ross – The Joy of Painting
This link gives a wide variety of episodes of “The Joy of Painting” with Bob Ross. This is a great stress relief activity, especially if you enjoy painting!
Bob Ross. (2016, November 28). Bob Ross – The joy of painting (full episodes) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLWEXRAnQd0&list=PLAEQD0ULngi67rwmhrkNjMZKvyCReqDV4
Soul Pancake (youtube channel)
This channel was started by Rainn Wilson from the Office, and they make really uplifting, meaningful content. From stories to activism to interviews there is a wide variety of really cool and interesting stuff to take your mind off of school and work but to be learning and growing too.
SoulPancake. (n.d.) Home [Youtube Channel] Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/c/SoulPancake/featured
Song Exploder (music podcast)
Created and hosted by Hrishikesh Hirway, this podcast is an interview with an artist about how they wrote one of their songs. Guests range from Fleetwood Mac to Yo-Yo Ma to Selena Gomez. Episodes are usually 20-30 minutes long and are a great escape into music.
Song Exploder. (n.d.) Song Exploder. https://songexploder.net/podcast
Pod Save America (politics podcast)
This podcast (and media company) was created by four guys who worked for President Obama, and I started listening to the podcast this year when I was wanting to learn more about election coverage. They have really helped me stay sane by explaining what is going on in a really clear way and also recognize that we are in an exceptional time.
Pod Save America. (n.d.) Crooked Media. https://crooked.com/podcast-series/pod-save-america/
Up First (news podcast)
This is one of my other favorite podcasts, it is a 15 minute podcast with NPR journalists that go over what the biggest news stories of the day are from around the world. I feel like I don’t really have time to read a ton of articles, and so it helps be informed- I’ll often listen when I am getting ready for the day.
Up First. (n.d.) NPR. https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510318/up-first
The Psychology of Self-Motivation. A TED-Talk by Scott Geller, professor at Virginia Tech on self-motivation. Geller, S. (2013). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sxpKhIbr0E
- Self Care; What It Really Is
Susannah Winters discusses the myths around self-care and explains the four components of self-care: nourishing foods, stillness and movement, time in nature, and self-expression.
Winters, S. (2018, December). Self care: What it really is. [Video]. TED. https://www.ted.com/talks/susannah_winters_self_care_what_it_really_is
“A Self-Care Action Plan”
Hank Green talks about making a self-care action plan to support your
well-being.
How to Adult. (2017, May 3). A self-care action plan. [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0iVTQS8ftg
“Why Self Care Is So Important”
Kristen Wong discusses the importance of self-care and tips for enacting self-care practices.
Wong, K. (2016, April 14). Why self care is so important. Lifehacker. https://lifehacker.com/why-self-care-is-so-important-1770880812
“The Importance of Self Care”
A playlist of TED talks about the importance of self-care and different ways of practicing it.
TED. (n.d). The importance of self care. TED. https://www.ted.com/playlists/299/the_importance_of_self_care
“Top Self Care Activities for Graduate Students”
This video discusses self-care activities for graduate students through body, mind, and spirit self-care.
Ever Educating. (2019, November 8.). Top self care activities for graduate students. [Video] Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uU-6XKZjRmk
“Re-train Your Brain With Self-Care”
Dima Abou Chaaban presents a TED talk that discusses the neuroscience behind self-care and how it taking care of ourselves can improve our personal wellbeing.
Tedx Talks. (2019, October 30). Retrain your brain with self-care. [Video] Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cohKoXx4jgg
“The Missing Ingredient in Self Care”
Portia Jackson-Preston presents how self-care helped to restore her health when she took a more holistic approach. This presentation can help shift the current framework a student may hold around self-care and make it easier to prioritize.
Jackson-Preston, P. (2019, October). The missing ingredient in self care. [Video]. TED. https://www.ted.com/talks/portia_jackson_preston_the_missing_ingredient_in_self_care
TED Talk: How to Tame Your Wandering Mind, given by Amishi Jha
Jha, A. (2017, March). How to tame your wandering mind [Video]. TED Conferences. https://www.ted.com/talks/amishi_jha_how_to_tame_your_wandering_mind
Amishi Jha is a neuroscientist who studies attention processes in the brain, including how the brain determines what to focus on and what to ignore. She has developed strategies for achieving greater mindfulness and focus that she discusses here.
TED Talk: The Brain-Changing Benefits of Exercise, given by Wendy Suzuki
Suzuki, W. (2017, November). The brain-changing benefits of exercise [Video]. TED Conferences. https://www.ted.com/talks/wendy_suzuki_the_brain_changing_benefits_of_exercise#t-21326
Neuroscientist and author Wendy Suzuki shares how exercise is a powerful and effective way of improving mood and memory as well as preventing neurodegenerative diseases. (As a sidenote: When I was younger, I used to feel guilty about taking time away from my studies to work out. However, I now realize that I study so much more effectively and retain what I learn so much better when I work out regularly.)
TED Talk: The Brain Benefits of Deep Sleep – and How to Get More of It, given by Dan Gartenberg
Gartenberg, D. (2017, June). The brain benefits of deep sleep – and how to get more of it [Video]. TED Conferences. https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_gartenberg_the_brain_benefits_of_deep_sleep_and_how_to_get_more_of_it
Dan Gartenberg, a sleep scientist, discusses the regenerative benefits of deep sleep and a device that he is currently working on that employs playing sounds with “the same burst frequency as your brain waves when your brain is in deep sleep” (Gartenberg, 2017, 5:11) at specific moments during your sleep to improve how deeply you sleep. His research is being funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Health; and I think it may be well worth it to keep an eye out for the release of this new technology, especially as deep sleep plays an important role in our learning capability, long-term memory, and personality development (Gartenberg, 2017).
“How to Implement Self Care as a Grad Student and not feel Guilty about it”Alli, T. (Director). (2018, February 11). How to Implement Self Care as a Grad Student and not feel Guilty about it [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hryzPY55twQ
This video is from Toyin Alli who is the creator of the Academic Society for Graduate students (I’m also on their Facebook group). She talks about myths that contribute to guilt in practicing self-care as grad students and encourages students to not let graduate school run your life or to allow thoughts like “I’m going to be stressed and tired until I’m done” take over your life.
“All it takes is 10 mindful minutes”
Puddicombe, A. (Director). (2013, January 11). All it takes is 10 mindful minutes [Video file]. Retrieved fromhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzR62JJCMBQ&feature=emb_title
Andy talks about taking 10 minutes to do absolutely nothing. Humans are always doing something, and it is usually very hard for them to sit and do nothing to refresh their brains and re-energize. He includes tips on meditation, what it is, and what it isn’t.
“Oprah Winfrey: Take Care of Yourself”
Winfrey, O. (Director). (2014, May 21). Oprah Winfrey: Take Care of Yourself [Video file]. Retrieved fromhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfLGR0KYuys
Oprah talks about how to keep your cup full because you cannot give to others what you do not have. You cannot take care of others if you are not taking care of yourself.
