We understand that in order to help make the necessary changes we need to see happen within our own institutions and within the greater museum field as a whole, we not only need to look inwards at ourselves, but we need to address and support the psychological and emotional needs of our staff and colleagues.

To help all museum professionals and any individual take the necessary steps to maintain a strong, central well-being during these unparalleled and ambiguous times, both inside and outside of work, we have put together the following list of self-care resources and tools. Please take a look and check back for updates.

PAGE INDEX

WMA's Moments of Zen

Mental + Emotional + Spiritual Self Care

Physical + Social Self-Care • Creative Self-Care

Self-Care for Working Professionals

Self-Care for Parents • Self-Care for Kids + Teens 

WMA's MOMENTS OF ZEN

Every week, we provide a #MomentofZen to help ease your mind and offer a moment of peace in such an uncertain world. Here are some of our favorite moments:

• Close Whale Encounters

• Relaxing Visuals from Studio Ghibli

• Snow Falling on a Lake

• Compilation of Summer Hikes

• Playful Otter & Kitten

• American the Beautiful by Ray Charles

• Some Good Museum News

• Star Wars According to a 3 Year Old

• "Hustle To Meowtivate"

• Baby Penguin on a Man's Belly

• Grand Canyon Virtual Tour

• More Than Gold: Jesse Owens and The 1936 Berlin Olympics - Trailer

• GoPro: Kama The Surfing Pig

• James Turrell's 'Roden Crater'

• Breathtaking Time-Lapse Video of Earth From Space 

MENTAL + EMOTIONAL + SPIRITUAL SELF-CARE

• Combatting Burnout in the Museum Sector – AAM

• I Found Healing in a Cup of Tea – Healthline

• Taking Good Care Of Yourself – MentalHealthAmerica

• Self-Care – National Museum of African American History & Culture

• Time to Turn On & Tune In: 12 Podcasts to Help You Get Through 2020 – WMA

• Self-care in the age of Black Lives Matter – Medium

• How Your Mindfulness Practice Can Support the World Right Now – Mindful.org

• Daily Wellness: A New Mix of Motivational Podcasts and Personalized Music – Spotify

• Be Kind to Your Mind: Mental Health Awareness During COVID-19 – WMA

• Your ‘Surge Capacity’ Is Depleted — It’s Why You Feel Awful – Medium

• How Spirituality Can Benefit Mental and Physical Health – VeryWell Mind

• A New Month – Time for Some Introspection and Self-Care Magic – WMA 

• A Guide to Sleeping with Coronavirus Anxiety – Sleep Health

PHYSICAL + SOCIAL SELF-CARE

• Diet and Exercise Resources - Oaklahoma Museums Association

• 8 Ways to Practice Self-Care While Social Distancing – Right As Brain by UW Medicine

• Exercise: The Best Stress Relief - VeryWell Fit 

• 3 Key Factors in Healthy Relationships - VeryWell Mind

CREATIVE SELF-CARE

• Do Nothing for Two-Minutes (interactive) – Calm App

• 113 Museums Transformed Illustrations From Their Collections Into Free Coloring Pages – Smithsonian Magazine

• 12 Ways To Practice Community Care Digitally—for Your Own Self Care and That of Others – Well+Good

• Creative Mindfulness: The Buzzy Brain – Seema Rao

• Creative Expression for Maintaining Positive Wellbeing – Oaklahoma Museums Association

• Reframe How You Think About Self-Care – Harvard Business Review

• Scrapbooking As an Act of “Radical Self-Care” – NY Times

• Time & Space Self-Care Plan – Seema Rao

• How to Ceate Your Own Self-Care Plan & Why You Need One – Mindful.org

• Creative Self-Care: Make Art, Feel Better – Mindful Art Studio

• 9 Ways to Use Art to Practice Self-Care – PsychCentral 

SELF-CARE FOR WORKING PROFESSIONALS

• These 7 Steps Can Improve Your Professional Self-Care – Joy Energy Time

• What if I’m Burned Out? Counteracting Workplace Burnout – Seema Rao

• Seeking Self-Care Solutions, for COVID-19 and Beyond – AAM

• Self-care for Museum Professionals with Seema Rao (YouTube Video) – California Association of Museums

• Questions and Suggestions from the Blackbaud Self-care Webinar – Center for The Future of Museums Blog

• Anxiety, Stress, and Burnout Resources - Oaklahoma Museums Association

• The Care and Keeping of Museum Professionals – Book by Sarah C Erdman, Amazon

• Restarting Teams to Restart Museums – AAM

• Objective Lessons: Self-Care for Museum Workers [read for free on Kindle Unlimited] - Seema Rao

• Avoiding video conferencing fatigue while working remotely – UCL

• 5 Unexpected Self-Care Practices To Weave Into Your Work Day – Forbes

• Working Remotely During COVID-19 – Center for Workplace Mental Health 

SELF-CARE FOR PARENTS

• 7 Tips to Teach Children Mindfulness & Meditation – mgbRelationships

• 11 Tips for Mindful Parenting – Mindspace

• Self-Care Strategies for Parents When You Have No Time for Yourself – Healthline Parenthood

• Mom's Hilarious Comics Capture The 'Nonsense' Of Parenting – Huff Post

• In Times of Crisis, Life-Affirming Picture Books – NY Times

• The Upside of Quarantine: 4 Fascinating Lessons to Teach Your Kids – Jessica Larson

• 15 Self-Care Strategies for Parents – VeryWell Family

• 4 Questions To Gauge Your Kid's Mental Health During The COVID-19 Pandemic – Huff Post

• They Need Me-Time, Too: A Self-Care Checklist to Do With Your Kids – Parents.com

• Five Totally Doable Self-Care Tips For Busy Moms – Forbes

• 9 Fathers On How They Make The Time For Self-Care – Mind Body Green 

• Free and Low-Cost Coaching Options – Kate Livingston Coaching

SELF-CARE FOR KIDS + TEENS

• How To Survive When Going Back To School Means Staying Home – Study Breaks

• 113 Museums Transformed Illustrations From Their Collections Into Free Coloring Pages – Smithsonian Magazine

• In Times of Crisis, Life-Affirming Picture Books – NY Times

• Self-Care for Kids – Growing Kids

• Self-Care and Teenagers – ReachOut Parents

• Teen Self-Care Resources – Pinterest

• 11 Self-Care Tips for Teens and Young Adults – Psychology Today

• Put the “Me” Back in Merry: Self-Care During This Holiday Season – WMA's WestMuse Blog

Do you have self-care resources you'd like to add?

Please share with us at communications@westmuse.org.

These resources are subject to change and will be updated as new information becomes available.

We're all in this together. #StayHealthy #StaySafe #TogetherButSafelyApart