Create a self-care box! 🎁
Your emergency kit when you are feeling low.
What is a self-care box?
It’s a gift from your past self to your future self. It’s a box you prepare, then put it away and only open in emergencies. A small collection of comfort, love and care for when you need it the most. You know yourself better than anyone else, which makes you the perfect person to make it.
Of course, you can also create one for someone else. It’s a beautiful and meaningful gift for someone you love and deeply care about.
If you or someone you love is struggling with depression, anxiety, or simply going through a hard time, this box is for you.
Ok, here’s how to make it!
First, find a box
It can be any size, any shape. It doesn’t have to be expensive, doesn’t have to be big. Even an old shoe box will do. If you travel a lot, maybe you want to create a small, light and portable version!
What to put in the Box:
Ok, here’s the idea:
When you're feeling low or going through depression, it’s not just your thoughts that suffer, most of your senses take a hit too. You might feel 🧡emotionally drained, 💚physically sluggish, or 🩵mentally foggy. In those moments, it’s hard to respond to help that only speaks to one part of you.
You can’t talk someone out of depression.
You need more than just “words“.
What works - is “attacking” from all directions, targeting all senses! 💥🥊
By supporting every sense, you give yourself the greatest chance of lifting yourself out of a low moment.
Ready?
Ok, make sure you include at least one small gift for each your senses:
1. 🧶 Something that feels nice! (to touch)
Find something soft, smooth, something with a special texture, something that feels nice to touch. Your favourite blanket, socks, splush animal - anything that’s tactile and a feels good on your skin!
Some ideas:
🧣 A cosy blanket or scarf
🧸 A small soft toy or squishy stress ball
🪶 A feather, smooth pebble or shell
💎 Crystals, gems, stones
2. 🌹Something that smells nice!
I absolutely love perfumes. They are incredibly powerful, shamanic healing tools. Your mind can’t reason or argue with perfumes, as they are non-verbal. A beautiful scent can immediately pull you out of your current headspace into something light, delicate and beautiful.
Find something that smells nice. It can be a perfume, or even a bar of soap, or an incense stick!
Some ideas:
🌹Natural Perfumes
💧 Essential oils
🔥 Sage, palo santo, incense
🍃 dried flowers or herbs
🧼 soap, balm, cream
3. 🍫Something that tastes nice!
What food or drink would comfort you the most? (For me, it’s tea.)
“While there is Tea, there is Hope”
- Sir Arthur Wing Pinero
Think of something that’s not perishable, wrapped and enjoyable. Something that brings you warm and happy memories, or maybe a comfort food that makes you feel cosy and loved.
Some ideas:
🍃 Your favourite tea!
🍫 Chocolate
☕️ sachet of hot chocolate
🍜 Instant noodles or soup mix?
🥨 or any comfort food you love!
4. 🎻Something that sounds nice!
What would you put in your box? Can you think of something that makes a beautiful sound? A bell? A Chime? Even some rice in a small jar! Be creative! Find something quirky and funny! It will really help when you need it!
Wouldn’t it be amazing to find a sheet of Bubble Wrap when you open the box, with a note from you to you?
I love you. Pop this bubble wrap and everything will be ok.
- me.
🫧
Some ideas:
🪇 A musical instrument
🗃️ small music box
📱 an old iPod!
🎵 anything that makes a sound!
🫧 Bubble wrap!
5. 📙Something nice to look at!
Sometimes just looking at something beautiful or meaningful can change everything. It could be anything deep and meaningful - or something that’s purely aesthetic and beautiful.
Some ideas:
🗿 A piece of art
🎞️ Old photos!
🏞️ postcard, painting or drawing
💎 Gemstones
🕯️ Candles to light!
5. 📙Something nice to read!
Your favourite book. A note to yourself. A letter. A comic. Anything that brings happy memories, or transfers you to a wonderful space.
Some ideas:
📚 A favourite book or poem
💌 A letter you’ve written to your future self
📿 Affirmations, mantras, or quotes that speak to your soul
💝 Kind words from others or from yourself
7. Something you can play with!
This item is different from the previous 6. All previous ones focused on inward motion, ie. sensing and perceiving. This one is the opposite, it focuses on outward motion, ie. doing and creating. It’s just as important.
This can be anything small to help you start an activity that pulls you out of your current headspace and release that energy. A fidget toy? Skipping rope? Puzzle? Pencil to draw with? A little childhood toy? Cat’s Cradle? Anything you can use to play, move, do, create, build, craft!🧶
Some ideas:
🧩A mini puzzle or fidget toy
🃏A deck of cards
🎨 A colouring book, pencils or paint
🧶 Craft kit, Origami paper!
🪢 Skipping rope!
🧱 Lego!
That’s it!
Now all you have to do is pack them lovingly into your box and put it away for the future you to find it. Don’t keep opening it when you don’t need to, keep it sacred, it’s for emergencies only. 🥰
I hope you liked this idea and I hope you will create your own box! 🎁
If you do, please send me a pic!