selfcare.tech

a repository of self-care resources for developers & others

RECENT CHANGES 1.29.21: New remote and self care resources

I've created a new page for those of you working remotely for the first time, or those who need some new perspectives on self care as remote workers.

Remote Work Resources

About this site

A while back I had a minor wake up call. I wasn't taking care of myself and and my body told me so in no uncertain terms. The experience started me thinking about how important self care is, and how little we pay attention to it in the tech community.

So often I see developers ignoring their basic needs for rest and refreshment. I started this site to provide a central location to find links that will help us all take better care of ourselves.

Not a developer or involved in tech? You deserve to take time for self-care, too! You don't have to be in tech to contribute and use these links.

I also wrote a post on medium to dig a little deeper into why I made this site: I won’t tell you to stop working, but I can try to help you not burn out


Contributing to the site

Have a link to share? Submit a pull request!
This project is intended to be a living, breathing resource.

contribute a link

selfcare.tech bots

I made a few bots if you'd like to follow them. There are reminders for selfcare practice and the occasional link as well.

twitter mastodon

general self-care

Practise Self-Care »

Information from the International Self-Care Foundation on the seven pillars of self-care and what it all means.

A History of Self-Care »

Some history to give perspective on where the term "self-care" came from and how it's evolved over the years.

Aloe »

Aloe is a self-care focused community within Femsplain. Fast or slow, we're giving you the tools to grow. Features a newsletter, twitter bot and Medium publication of useful articles.(Aloe is also now an app)

WellCast »

While mostly targeted at students, this site features short video guides on handling stress, relationships, and improving overall wellness.

7 Ways to Maximize Misery »

A video that shows you how to make yourself sad. a form of reverse psychology that powerfully shows some of those bad habits and ways of living that are so easy to slip into.

100 Days of Healthing »

Inspired by 100DaysofCode, 100 Days of Healthing is a challenge to spend an hour a day, for 100 days, working on your health & self care. It’s permission to give yourself an hour a day. And we’re all here with you.

LemonAid »

LemonAid offers an active, supportive community where you can unload your struggles and share successes anonymously. they believe in openly speaking about mental health, trauma, human rights and professional challenges. as of now, the community is open for those who are female-identifying, but they are working to expand that. check out the website, or just join the [Slack Group](https://nicole64.typeform.com/to/MKsY8J).

tools to use right now

I Am Having A Crisis & Can't Go On »

Some helpful guidelines if things are really bad and you find yourself in crisis. Please seek out the resources on that page if you feel like you can't go any further on your own.

Grounding Exercises »

Grounding is a technique that helps us reorient to the here-and-now, to bring us into the present. They are a useful technique if you ever feel overwhelmed, intensely anxious, or dissociated from your environment.

burnout prevention & working better

The Burnout List »

Frank Chimero spent some time (with help) looking at what parts of his burnout were on him and what parts were outside of his control. The result was this useful list of factors to be aware of that can influence the onset of burnout.

10 things you can do to take care of yourself before work »

As part of The Washington Post's series on self-care, they asked members of PayUp, their community dedicated to discussing gender disparity in the workplace, to share what they’ve build into their morning routines that helps center their minds and bodies for the day.

Jocelyn K. Glei »

Jocelyn K. Glei helps people find more creativity and meaning in their daily work. Her articles focus on pragmatic ideas for working better, not faster or longer.

Kinder To Do Lists »

Beck Tench offers wisdom that can help us make our to do lists feel a bit less like we're being yelled at and setting ourselves up for failure.

LifeWork »

"Reclaim LifeWork protects time on your work calendar for personal events, enables you manage your schedule from one place, and defends your time for what matters."

Weekend Sabbatical »

"Take off the LAST weekend of every month as a sabbatical (Saturday and Sunday)."

burnout recovery

burnout.io »

A resource that reads (in a good way) like documentation for a code library or development methodology, breaking down actionable steps for recovering from burnout.

Recovering from Burnout »

The author describes his own struggle and recovery from burnout. Most importantly, he outlines that burnout isn't always caused by overwork. He identifies 6 reasons: Lack of control, Values conflict, Insufficient reward, Work overload, Unfairness, Breakdown of community.

Preventing and Dealing with Burnout in Web Development »

This episode of Syntax is entitled "Preventing and Dealing with Burnout in Web Development", and covers exactly that. They talk about what burnout is, discuss how prevention isn't easy (but certainly easier than digging out once you're burned out), and give ways to prevent it.

How To Bounce Back From Burnout »

"Let me tell you how and why I burned out and, more importantly, how I bounced back — so you can follow my road to recovery and get off to a better start if you find yourself worn down by work."

How To Bounce Back From Burnout »

"Let me tell you how and why I burned out and, more importantly, how I bounced back — so you can follow my road to recovery and get 2015 off to a better start if you find yourself worn down by work."

exercise and health

Thinking Putty Hand Excercises »

The sensory nature of the putty makes it a great tool for relieving stress; acting as an attention aid; and assisting in physical therapy for wrists and hands.

Brain Over Brawn »

The "owner's manual for the human body", a free e-book on how to maintain your body in decent condition. Fair warning, the importance of eating at regular interval has been debunked since the release, but the rest of the book still stands.

Eat This Much »

Automatic meal planner to help stick with a balanced diet, calculated based on your body and lifestyle parameters.

Clue »

A scientifically-minded reproductive health app (iOS, Android) that goes beyond mere period tracking.

Cooking Without Spoons »

"A cooking blog for when you Just Can't" This blog covers very simple recipies and cooking staple items for when you don't have the energy to cook, but want to feed yourself well.

meditation & mindfulness resources

How To Meditate For Beginners »

This comprehensive guide covers exactly: where to meditate, how to meditate, what to do with your mind, how long to do it for, and even how long before you start seeing benefits.

The Miracle of Mindfulness »

This short, concise, classic book by Thich Nhat Hanh introduces the practical application of mindfulness both in meditation and in daily life.

Coding Mindfully »

Daragh Byrne is a programmer and a meditation teacher. Come learn the basics of mindfulness, and how to apply it to your coding life to beat burnout, work with impostor syndrome and bring clarity and creativity back into your thinking.

Pocket Mindfulness »

James teaches mindfulness as a pathway to self-acceptance and inner peace, a pathway that helps release the attachment, aversion and desire responsible for the day-to-day suffering of mind that prevents us from discovering true contentment in life.

meditations & tools

Breathe Luv »

A lovely, peaceful breathing app with three speed settings and gentle animations. no ads. iOS only for now.

Ground & Center »

A good outline of a classic meditation visualization that can work well in a short amount of time if you are feeling out of sorts.

QuietKit »

Free guided meditation for beginners. Their box breathing tool is also useful.

Oak »

A free meditation and breathing app that has no subscription and a lovely interface. (iOS only)

Headspace »

Meditation made simple. learn online, when you want, wherever you are, in just 10 minutes a day.

Calm »

A simple mindfulness meditation app that brings clarity and peace of mind into your life.

The Mindfulness App »

An app that will lead you through meditations. It comes with reminders to help you remember to meditate.

Meditations »

Jack Kornfield's website lists various well-writtetn meditations, some of them in audio/video, on walking, mindfulness, gratitude and various other topics.

podcasts

10 Percent Happier podcast »

Dan Harris is a fidgety, skeptical ABC newsman who had a panic attack live on Good Morning America, which led him to something he always thought was ridiculous: meditation. In this podcast, Dan talks with smart people about whether there's anything beyond 10%. Basically, here's what this podcast is obsessed with: Can you be an ambitious person and still strive for enlightenment (whatever that means)?

Function 13: We Can't Just Log Off: Mental Health and Tech »

In this season two premiere of Function, Anil explores how the web made an impact on his mental health and talks to experts like Dr. Elias Aboujaoude, Stanford University psychiatrist and author; and web creators Desi Rottman and Angelo Stavrow about the how the internet is changing the way we see ourselves and interact with others.

newsletters

Bouncy Castle »

a weekly email filled only with things that make its contributors smile.

The Kids Should See This »

Here’s just so much science, nature, music, art, technology, storytelling and assorted good stuff out there that kids haven’t seen. It’s most likely not stuff that was made for them… But we don’t underestimate kids around here.

Zen Habits »

Zen Habits is about finding simplicity and mindfulness in the daily chaos of our lives. It’s about clearing the clutter so we can focus on what’s important, create something amazing, find happiness.

Brain Pickings »

A free weekly interestingness digest. It comes out on Sunday mornings and offers the week’s most unmissable articles across creativity, psychology, art, science, design, philosophy, and other facets of our search for meaning.

Girls' Night In »

A weekly Friday newsletter and community for women who'd rather stay in tonight + recharge. We only share fun or positive things.

uplift & positivity

Emergency Compliment »

Sometimes you need someone to tell you it's ok. Sometimes you need someone to tell you your breath smells great.

Calming Manatee »

Random slides of manatees with phrases as if they were your best parent-type friend.

Peaceful Cuisine »

Soothing videos (some without music) of vegan food recipes being prepared in beautiful kitchen.

Self Love Anthems »

A Spotify playlist with songs about self love. These can be used as daily affirmations, in times of confidence, or in times of self-doubt to get you excited about loving + taking care of yourself!

humane tech

f.lux »

OS X app makes the color of your computer's display adapt to the time of day, warm at night and like sunlight during the day.

StayFocusd »

A Google Chrome extension that limits the amount of time that you can spend on time-wasting websites.

Workrave »

A program for Linux and Windows that reminds users to take micro-pauses and rest breaks.

Twilight »

An Android app like F.lux; makes the color of your computer's display adapt to the time of day, red-shifted at night and normal during the day.

Rest »

Rest is a break reminder app for Mac and Windows that keeps you productive and healthy throughout the day.

Red Moon »

Red Moon is an open-source blue filter app available on Android.

journaling & self-exploration

750 Words »

Online, always private, blank page for anything you want to say. The site is built around The Artist's Way's practice of free-association writing first thing in the morning. exports are available.

WriteNext »

WriteNext helps writers to write more often, achieve writing goals and focus better while writing. It will boost your writing skills and turn writing into a daily habit.

Journaling and Self Care »

Joshua Ginter shares his experience of how journaling as an accountant helped him get through the hectic tax season more healthily.

offline activities

Colouring Pages »

Del provides printable, Creative Commons licensed coloring pages for grown ups on her Free Colouring Pages and also sells a coloring book and a digital book on how to draw mandalas yourself.

Solitaire »

Often called "Patience," more than 150 Solitaire games have been devised.

Calming Crafts »

The Sea Lemon youtube channel offers tutorials on making lots of different crafts, often related to paper crafts and organizational tools. the video linked here is focused on calming crafts, but her videos are soothing to watch on their own as well.

BoardGameGeek »

This site contains hundreds of board and card games you can download and print, many of them for free.

general tools & apps

#SelfCare »

Short description: Smartphone app (iOS and Android) that gameifies self-care with gentle games you always win, tarot cards, and a cat to pet.

Woolly »

An online magazine of self-care-centered articles

Sanvello »

Mood and healthy behavior tracking, meditations and other activities to help you cope with stress or anxiety.

Happify »

Happify provides a variety of easy to do and effective exercises to teach you new emotional skills and coping methods. Available for iOS, Android, and desktop!

Time Out »

A web application that gently reminds to you take breaks during the day. You can choose a theme, set customizable breaks and even track your activity.

Jinglow »

A customisable mindfulness recording studio that goes with you wherever you go

Woebot »

Think through situations with step-by-step guidance from Woebot using methods from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

Cactus »

"Research-backed prompts to increase self-awareness and resilience"

noise generators

Noisli »

A background noise generator with built-in text editor.

MyNoise »

A site with a very wide variety of noise generators, ranging from nature sounds and industrial noises to soundscapes and simulated voices.

Tide »

A combination white-noise and pomodoro-timer app for iOS. soothing sounds & periodic "take a break" reminders.

Defonic »

Create immersive soundscapes with this web-based tool.

A Soft Murmur »

Ambient sounds to wash away distraction. Available on Android and iOS as well as the web.

a.m. ambient »

a.m. ambient is an internet radio stream featuring bright and positive ambient music.

Purrli »

The internet has a cat. Complete with random little meows and various options to control the intensity of all those purrs.

helpful games

Habitica »

A free habit building and productivity app that treats your real life like a game.

Pause »

Triggers the body’s ‘rest and digest’ response by slowly and continuously moving your fingertip on the screen.

Deskspace »

This is deskspace, a self-care app. It's designed to be simple with only a few functions. Each object on the desk has a different use - play around with them and see how they can work for you.

Self-Care Game Jam »

A collection of games, little tools, zines, music, and bots created as part of the game jam.

Viridi »

Viridi is a meditative potted plant app for both desktop (PC/OSX) and mobile (Android/iOS). the soundtrack is also available.

Games as a Path to Self-Care »

Games can offer a lifeline, letting players inhabit a space where exploration is not only possible but encouraged. A place where we can examine the relationships between ourselves, our perceptions of others, and the world around us.

self care bots

Medbot »

Reminders to take your medications from a robot that swallowed a thesaurus.

Yayfrens Bot »

A bot that is your friend who loves you and even responds to your retweets.

take a break pls »

A bot to remind you to be kind to yourself during the day and take breaks every 3 hours.

pls_take_care »

Twitter bot, tweets self-care reminders. One of the first ever self-care bots.

talks & articles

The Most Important UI: You »

A lightning talk by Carol Stransky about the lack of self-care in the tech industry and how you can build your own self-care toolkit.

How to ADHD (YouTube Channel) »

Quick video guides to managing your ADHD (since a lot of tech workers have it and could harness it for good rather than feeding their self-doubt!).

Self-care for Nerds »

Slides from a presentation by @aditibhandari with tips on self-care including some hand and wrist exercises

You're Already Doing Just Fine »

Noelle Daley gives an excellent talk at Donut.js exploring self-improvement, and the radical idea that perhaps you're already doing just fine.

articles and resources for building self-care tools

Offline Only »

You have to actually go offline to read this thoughtful piece on the potential of building offline web-based things.

Calm Tech »

A set of principals to guide the creation of calmer, less attention-grabbing technology.

Coed:Ethics »

Resources & Ideas About CODing Ethics For Developers & Technologists