Managing stress and anxiety
- Nature Therapy
Studies have shown being outdoors can lessen blood pressure, sharpen your focus, improve your mood, lessen depression and boost your immune system. - Calm offers premium access to their mindfulness app through NYSUT.
- Understanding stress
Learn about how stress affects your body and how to handle it. - Understanding stress, a quick guide
When managed successfully, stress can help you be your best. But unresolved stress can lead to emotional and physical problems. Take stock: how do you handle your stress? - Stress assessment
Answer these 21 questions to help yourself understand how you're doing. - Recommendations for minimizing stress
Get 19 quick tips for handling your stress. - Jabumind is a free mindfulness app created just for teachers. Join teachers from across the world in a 10-week meditation program, or browse their library of guided meditations to help reduce stress, regulate emotions, and improve quality of sleep.
Virtual resources
- NYC Well Hotline
Call 888-692-9355 - Disaster Distress Helpline (DDH)
Call 1-800-985-5990 or text "TalkWithUs" to 66746 for crisis counseling and support for anyone in the U.S. experiencing distress or other behavioral health concerns related to any natural or human-caused disaster, including public health emergencies. - Safety planning for domestic violence survivors
- Trauma counseling for active (not retired) AFT members: 27 hours of counseling for a number of specific events either both on and off the job. This is for Active members, not retirees. Specific events include: aggravated assault, sexual assault, injured in a natural disaster, contracted an infectious disease at work, bullying/harassment at work, domestic violence, victim of gun violence, secondary trauma from gun violence at work.
- Grief counseling specific to COVID-19 for AFT members: For members who have lost an immediate family member to COVID-19, or for the immediate family of an AFT member who died of COVID-19. In this case the member can be active or retired. This is two hours of counseling including an assessment. Counseling done remotely via phone, webinar or text.
- Virtual resources for those struggling with substance use
Online supports that might be helpful for recovery. - Meditation and mindfulness apps
Practice meditation and mindfulness with these apps for your cell phone. - Book apps
If you have a library card, download these apps to borrow free books from your local library. - MAP's Brewing Wellness podcast
This podcast from the UFT Member Assistance Program is meant to inspire you and motivate you.
Self-care
- Promoting sibling kindness for all ages
- Free online mindfulness classes for kids
- Mindfulness activities and resources
Here are some tools to get you started on your mindfulness journey. - Fun indoor activities
Get more than 100 ideas for indoor activities to keep you and your family busy.