It is officially the new year, 2022 - a time of reflection, resolutions, and recovering from the beautiful and hectic time that is the holiday season. It is also approaching two years of living through a pandemic. And while it is always important to take care of ourselves as well as others, it is even more so now as we continue to deal with COVID-19 and its repercussions. But, despite the marketing buzzword it's turned into, self-care isn't just bubble baths and candles or treating yourself to that thing you want. Self-care is about taking care of your mental, emotional, and physical needs. It's about doing the things that help us grow, heal, and transform into brighter, more whole versions of ourselves, and those things can often be challenging and uncomfortable. This includes everything from ensuring our fundamental needs are met to setting aside time for self-reflection and practicing mindfulness. Below are many community-based, library, and digital resources to help start 2022 off well. We invite you to take a look and to please contact your local library branch if you have any questions.
- Food Security
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Field & Fork - UF's College of Agricultural & Life Sciences sponsors and participates in the Field & Fork Campus Food Program which provides opportunities to learn about and collaborate on sustainable agriculture and food systems. Students get the opportunity to grow food in a production setting, help provide healthy, fresh food to those experiencing food insecurity, and offer open courses on nutrition, agriculture, and other related topics. This program has also gathered a list of resources including community food security organizations, nutrition education, wellness, local farms, and farmer's markets for interested members of the community. You can also download their Community Food Resource Handout which includes all resources shared on their website plus hunger relief resources from UF/IFAS Extension Family Nutrition Program and places to find free or cheap hot meals in the Gainesville area.
- Mental Health Services
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Santa Fe College's Mental Health & Medical Services Referral List - SF College has compiled a list of resources connecting Alachua County residents to the services they need to improve their mental and physical health and well-being. This includes social services resources, crisis centers and clinic contact information, and other related services.
SFC Counseling Resources Overview - SF College's Counseling Center primarily services their student and faculty population; however, they have collected and shared a some free online resources available to anyone who may need them. Examples of information provided include information on depression, anxiety, eating disorders, domestic violence, assault and/or abuse, racism, coping and mental health supports, and more.
Alachua County Community Health & Social Services Resource Guide - Put together by undergraduate students at the University of Florida, this document contains extensive information on a variety of community services ranging from counseling, addiction, and mental health services to food assistance, vision care, occupational/physical therapy, help for persons with disabilities, and more.
ADDitude Magazine - This resource is particularly aimed at serving those with ADHD, their friends and loved ones, but it also provides a great deal of helpful information on potential comorbidities like anxiety, depression, autism, bipolar disorder, and others. This information can be helpful whether or not you or any loved ones have ADHD. Their website also possesses a great collection of free webinars and downloadable material on the topics mentioned above and more.
- Physical Health Services
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Alachua County Community Health & Social Services Resource Guide - Put together by undergraduate students at UF, this document contains extensive information on a variety of community services ranging from counseling, addiction, and mental health services to food assistance, vision care, occupational/physical therapy, help for persons with disabilities, and more.
HealthStreet - UF's HealthStreet is a community engagement program that employs evidence-based, community outreach practices to bridge gaps in healthcare and research. Participating community health workers help to bring information about available medical and social services to members of the community. You can sign up for their monthly newsletter, become a member, or contact them as needed.
Santa Fe College's Mental Health & Medical Services Referral List - SF College has compiled a list of resources connecting Alachua County residents to the services they need to improve their mental and physical health and well-being. This includes social services resources, crisis centers and clinic contact information, and other related services.
United Way: Health - United Way is a telephone-based community resource for location information related to counseling referrals, human service agencies, support groups, health resources, recreation, and education programs. Anyone is eligible and you can reach them 24 hours a day at 352-332-4636 or by dialing 2-1-1. To learn more before calling, you can explore their website.
- Financial Literacy
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United Way: Financial Stability - United Way is a telephone-based community resource for location information including support groups, recreation, education, and financial literacy programs. Anyone is eligible and you can reach them 24 hours a day at 352-332-4636 or by dialing 2-1-1. To learn more before calling, you can explore their website.
The Budgetnista - Tiffany Aliche is the founder of "The Budgetnista", an award-winning teacher of financial education, and the author of NYT Bestseller Get Good with Money, The One Week Budget, and the Live Richer Challenge series. She has created countless resources for her global audience - including her finance blog The Budgetnista Blog, co-hosted podcast Brown Ambition, and guest episode on The Financial Feminist podcast hosted by Tori Dunlap of HerFirst100k, and continues to teach financial courses online and in-person, including numerous free workshops. Tiffany Aliche is a major proponent of the concepts of "financial wholeness" and "financial wellness" which are intertwined and which she discusses at length in her book and on her blog. You can also find her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
Library Catalog - If you're looking to learn more about financial literacy and finances in general, the library has many resources available in our nonfiction collections. For more foundational books, it can be helpful to begin in the juvenile nonfiction section or with overview texts from the adult nonfiction section. For more specific information or more in-depth texts, you can continue exploring the adult nonfiction section or explore more online resources like the previously mentioned HerFirst100k, The Budgetnista, Ash Cash Exantus, and Earn Your Leisure.
- Education
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Library Catalog - The Alachua County Library District has a wealth of information on a multitude of subjects, both in our branches and online through OverDrive and other databases. You can search our catalog by keyword, subject, title, author, and more and can narrow your searches even further as needed. If you have any questions, please contact your local library branch and we can assist you.
Continuing Education - Whether you are seeking an industry certification, changing careers or focusing on career advancement, starting or growing your small business, or are wanting to learn the in-demand skills for emerging technologies, SF Continuing Education has programs that will fit in your busy schedule. Their programs are current, accessible, and affordable, designed to enhance your skills, your life, and your career.
Adult Education/GED - It's never too late to seek out an education. Alachua County Public Schools and Santa Fe College offer Adult Education/GED classes for anyone looking to get their GED. Santa Fe College also offers Adult Basic Education, College Readiness Review Classes, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes, and more listed on their website.
- Mindfulness & Meditation
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Library Catalog - The Alachua County Library District has a wealth of information on a multitude of subjects, including mindfulness and meditation, both in our branches and online through OverDrive and other databases. You can search our catalog by keyword, subject, title, author, and more and can narrow your searches even further as needed. If you have any questions, please contact your local library branch and we can assist you.
Yoga With Adriene - This YouTube channel is a fantastic, freely available resource for anyone interested in practicing yoga. Their mission is to connect as many people as possible through high-quality free yoga videos, from first-time beginners to those with more advanced yoga practices. Brand-new to yoga? Check out the Yoga For Beginners and Foundations of Yoga series. These are designed to give you the tools to build a happy, healthy at-home yoga practice. More interested in meditation? Check out the playlist Guided Meditations. If you're interested in exploring further, check out Adriene's other resources, Find What Feels Good and the Yoga with Adriene website.
Calm - You may have heard of Calm through their popular "sleep stories" but they also have a fantastic blog filled with helpful, free articles on mindfulness, mental health, and more. Take a look or download the app and explore.
Active Meditation - For those who are not inclined to more traditional forms of mindfulness and meditation, the practice of active mediation is recommended. This article does a fantastic job of explaining the concepts behind active meditation as well as tips and instructions for how to practice it.
- Daily Habits & Routines
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Alarmy - Research has proven the numerous benefits that come with regular, daily routines. But if you also have a difficult time waking up in the morning, daily routines can feel easier said than done. Alarmy is a free app (with premium options) that uses unique features and tools to help make sure your mind and body wake up in the morning. Available for both Apple and Android devices.
Habitica - Habits are a real chore, but not all chores are terrible. Some come with the promise of gold coins and cool weapons. Habitica is a to-do list and habit-tracker that doubles as an RPG, giving you experience points and other game-related goodies for the chores or habits you complete (and costing you hit points when you miss one). Habitica splits your activity into four categories: To-Dos, Habits, Dailies, and Rewards, each one offering benefits and punishments for completion and missed activities, respectively. Presented as a pixelated game character, you can customize your avatar with weapons, armor, and animal mounts as you gain experience. You can team up with other Habitica users on group goals (like going to the gym daily) and battle monsters as a group.
Habit Tracker Apps - If you're looking for support while you try to build new habits or break old ones, Loop Habit Tracker (Android) and Streaks (Apple) are two terrific apps built for just such a purpose. Each has features that allow you to choose which habits or goals you want to track, how to organize them, and create charts and statistics that show your progress over time.
- Journaling & Reflection
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Library Catalog - The Alachua County Library District has a wealth of information on a multitude of subjects, including journaling, gratitude, and more, both in our branches and online through OverDrive and other databases. You can search our catalog by keyword, subject, title, author, and more and can narrow your searches even further as needed. If you have any questions, please contact your local library branch and we can assist you.
Journaling Prompts - Journaling is a very personal and customizable practice. Often mental health practitioners will encourage people to journal freeform, where you simply reflect and write whatever thoughts come up. This kind of journaling may sound simple and in a way it is, but it can take some practice and getting used to. If you need a little help getting started or if you've been journaling for a while and are looking for new places to start, journal prompts can be a great tool. Journal prompts exist all over the internet on many subjects and can usually be found on blogs with a quick Google search. You can journal in a notebook, on spare paper, on notebook paper in a folder, in Google Drive or Microsoft Word, or anywhere else that works for you. You can also find guided journals online or in bookstores that come pre-printed with prompts and spaces to write responses.
- Spend Time Outdoors
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Alachua County Parks & Preserves - Spending time outside has been proven to have countless benefits for our overall health and wellbeing. These benefits include lowering blood pressure, reducing stress, improving mood and focus, elevating vitamin D levels, and helping reduce inflammation. Local parks and preserves are great places to spend time outdoors and are usually free, though many do request small cash donations for admission. Take a look at this list and find new places to explore near you!
Visit Gainesville - Looking for new ways to spend time outdoors? Check out the Visit Gainesville website for exciting, beautiful venues near you. You can also sign up for their newsletter for updates on year-round, annual, and seasonal events.
- Connect With Others
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Community Support Services - Alachua County offers a variety of community support groups and service organizations open to all residents. Connecting with others, especially when we need help, can feel difficult but at the same time, it is incredibly important to do so. If you or anyone you know would benefit from these services, we invite you to reach out.
Additional Organizations - This website was created specifically for new residents of Alachua County but also serves as a helpful resource for any resident. The organizations on this list range from housing support services to healthcare, legal services, parenting resources, and more.
Volunteer Opportunities - Another great way to connect with others in your community is through volunteering. While the library is not currently able to take on volunteers, there are plenty of organizations throughout Alachua County that would greatly appreciate the support. Most are very flexible in terms of scheduling (days of the week, number of hours at a time, etc.) but they often have different application requirements so it is best to contact your chosen organization(s) directly. If you live in or can travel to the Gainesville area, there is a more specific list available sharing those opportunities.