Community Care and Self Care

Tools and Guides[]

From the website: "This game guides you through a series of questions that help you practice self care. It's especially useful for people who struggle with self care, executive dysfunction, and/or reading internal signals. It's designed to take as much of the weight off of you as possible, so each decision is very easy and doesn't require much judgment."

Move through this website's workbooks and quizzes to develop your transformative mutual aid practice.
From their website: "T-MAPs offers the opportunity to connect with yourself and others in tangible ways that contribute to personal and community healing. You can complete a personalized booklet (or “T-MAP”) by yourself or with a group. Your T-MAP becomes a guide for navigating challenging times, returning to what you care about, and communicating with the important people in your life. Some of these questions relate to general wellness strategies and life challenges, and some are aimed specifically at navigating the experiences of emotional distress that get labeled as “mental illness” or crisis."
https://tmapscommunity.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/T-MAPs-Workbook-Summer-2018.pdf
https://tmapscommunity.net/why-make-a-t-map/

The world’s largest, free guided meditation database.
Guided meditation is often an accessible way to begin a meditation practice. Silent meditation can be more challenging as our minds tend to fill the silence with thoughts. Check out this website to try guided meditation specifically designed to help you relax, manage stress and anxiety, sleep, and more.
https://insighttimer.com/

For the books on this list, your local library has a form where you can request particular books be purchased.

Women Responding to Racism by Audre Lorde; presentation
In June 1981, Audre Lorde gave the keynote presentation at the National Women’s Studies Association Conference, Storrs, Connecticut. A transcription of her presentation is linked below.
https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/speeches-african-american-history/1981-audre-lorde-uses-anger-women-responding-racism/

Why Community Care is the Perfect Companion to Your Self-Care Practice by Martha Tesema
"The goal of community care is to face systematic failures with justice and compassion, and, as Dockray notes, it may not fix overarching problems of inequity, but it can provide relief in the face of it. For some, this means protesting or supporting grassroots social justice efforts—online and offline. For others, it might mean spending time and energy to support their friendships, family, and chosen family."
https://advice.shinetext.com/articles/why-community-care-is-the-perfect-companion-to-your-self-care-practice/

An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others by Laura van Dernoot Lipsk; book
Very helpful if you hold community trauma.
https://traumastewardship.com/

The More or Less Definitive Guide to Self-Careby Anna Borges
"You may already practice some form of self-care, whether it’s taking an extra-long shower after a stressful day, splurging on a ~fancy~ dinner, or choosing Netflix over that friend-of-a-friend’s birthday party. But when life gets so overwhelming that you want to stay in bed, some more radical care is crucial to maintain your sanity.The More or Less Definitive Guide to Self-Care is here to help you exist in the world. Borges gathers over 200 tips, activities, and stories (from experts and everyday people alike) into an A-to-Z list—from asking for help and burning negative thoughts to the importance of touch and catching some Zzz’s."
https://theexperimentpublishing.com/catalogs/fall-2019/the-more-or-less-definitive-guide-to-self-care/