In a world full of stress and wanting to make other people happy, we sometimes forget to give ourselves the care that we deserve. While it’s true that stress can be positive sometimes and can motivate us to finish more of our tasks, too much of it may bring about negative feelings.
Don’t you wish you had an emotional first-aid kit to help yourself get back on track? Learn to make a DIY self-care kit that is perfect for your much-needed ‘me time’.
A self-care kit is a collection of therapeutic items that can give you peace of mind and make you feel calm, uplifted, and loved. It is considered as a go-to lifesaver when you’re having a bad moment.
When stressed, we typically yearn for something to lighten our mood. But sometimes, the process of looking hard for it may bring about even more stress. Since anxiety is unpredictable, having an organized self-care kit is a convenient way to deal with stress once it starts to kick in. It is also a great alternative to stress habits we should avoid like overeating/drinking and impulse-shopping.
Since a self-care kit consists of different items that can help alleviate stress, we get more ‘ways’ to tend to our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. Through this, we can understand our needs more and discover what works best for us.
To create a self-care kit, gather several items together that you associate with comfort, good memories, and feelings. Nestle it inside a basket, bag, or box, and decorate it to your liking. It’s that easy to make your very own self-care kit!
As a guide, you can use the ‘5 senses’ approach in making your self-care kit. It serves as a complete refreshment of the mind and body, instead of focusing on just one sense. It is also helpful to go back to our 5 senses when we feel like our mind is too cluttered. Pampering ourselves by integrating the different senses is a great way to support our mental health.
Here are some ideas for your self-care kit:
Sight
Surround your sight with colorful pictures, memorable photos, old greeting cards, postcards, a mini dream board, sketches, and cut-out snaps.
Get inspirations from a book, song lyrics, poetry, love letters, quotes, and motivational notes.
Smell
Calm yourself with the smell of an essential oil, scented candles, room fragrance, potpourri, luxury hand cream, or perfume.
Touch
Get cozy with the warmth of a pair of socks or blanket, cuddle a teddy bear, or even pop some bubble wrap.
Taste
Get your favorite pack of tea, hot chocolate, coffee, crackers, candies, or any food that you can store inside your kit.
Sound
Delight yourself with soothing sounds of a music box, a playlist of your favorite mood-boosting songs, a conch shell, a flute, or a harmonica.
Go ahead and gather some of these things you have at home or go to your preferred store and stock up on some important items to include in your self-care kit. Remember to use your imagination in conceptualizing your kit!
In another case of an emotional outburst or you simply just want a little me time, you can lean on your self-care kit as your new best friend!
