Weekly Prompt #31: If you will have a Wellness Kit, what all you will need in it?
Hello all!
Last week we discussed- If you can challenge yourself for one thing to step outside your comfort zone If you haven't checked yet, please click here to add your thoughts.
This week's prompt- What is your Wellness Kit?
A few ideas that come to mind for me include:
- Books within which I can search for meaning, comfort, and inspiration.
- A decorative set of self-made cards with different mental health insights and exercises on them
- A notebook and pen for journaling, perhaps one for clearing my head and one for gratitude
- Things to engage my senses for grounding, including:
* a soft blanket or wrap and a pillow to hug and cry into
* a mug, spoon, and hot chocolate mix and various soothing teas for different purposes
* scented sprays or rollers
* an MP3 player with guided meditations, inspiring talks and podcasts, and music
* a device with which to display images and videos or collection of motivating, beautiful images
(such as nature and loved ones and what reflects my values)
* a real or fake candle (and lighter or batteries)
- Any medication I might require taking
- A safety plan, a list of coping skills, a mental health check-in self-assessment, a list of reasons to live, a list of supports and crisis contacts, and a way to contact them for help
- Distraction activities like colouring, magic sand, those paint with water sheets (and brush and a cup of water), card games for one or for a group, craft kits
I'd probably have one for home and a smaller one for on the road, like a condensed version. I've seen someone make a tiny watercolour painting set that fit into an Altoid tin, for example, which might be pretty cool to try to use for a mobile distraction. I've also used a dollar store battery operated string of small LED lights before for visual comfort (in lieu of a candle).
@Zeraphim This is an awesome list! I really like the idea of safety plan/coping skills/mental health check-list/reasons to live etc that you listed. I think I may need to make something like that, due to feeling down lately. So, thank you for the ideas! :) Furthermore, I am curious about the self-made cards with mental health insignts and exercises — if you feel comfortable, could you share a few examples?
@ImpudentIncognito I got the idea from an art therapy group I was able to attend. The idea was to get a box that roughly fits a bunch of card stock cut into card size. Decorate the box as you wish with imagery that uplifts you or has personal meaning. Then give the cards a nice background and write on them inspiring quotes and the like.
I imagined taking the idea a step further and using reflections from whatever I'm struggling with, finding information about whatever it is, and then providing self-care exercises or coping skills reminders along with some comforting messages, meaningful imagery, the quotes as mentioned before, and whatever else might be supportive.
The cards could also be digitally designed and printed on the appropriate card stock, as well. The plan in the art therapy group was to then have the finished cards laminated, but that didn't end up happening, for reasons I don't recall.
I think the idea could be customized to suit any need one has, really. So the creative options are as many as you can imagine. ✨ I hope that helps! And thanks for giving my list a read. I appreciate that! 😊
@Zeraphim That is great, zera. It sounds like you are thinking about creating a wellness kit to help you feel safe and supported during difficult times. You have already gathered some items that bring you comfort and provide ways to cope with challenging emotions. Loved your wellness kit! <3
Assuming this kit must be portable, mine would have
- two kinds of painkillers: a jar of ibuprofen, & a smaller jar of whatever your favorite prescription one is. (I'm not picky)
- Something to eat. A homemade roll with some cheese & an apple would work.
- my water bottle, full.
- an inflatable pillow. It would be slightly firm...just enough to support my neck whenever I need to lie down.
- sleeping bag. See above.
- a fold-up tent that turns invisible as soon as I crawl inside it & zip up the flap. If I need to lie down somewhere, I can do it & rest without worrying about being messed with no matter where I happen to be.
- a spare cell phone with $100+ paid minutes on it. This is for if my regular phone breaks down...the spare would also have a few things to read on it in PDF format, plus a few movies & plenty of music. If I have to lay down, I won't get bored.
- a 9x12 sketchbook, a few art pencils, eraser, & a gel-ink ballpoint pen. Gotta have the art kit with me.
@slowdecline48 That sounds like a great idea! What inspired you to come up with this list?
...🤦♂️😒
Normally I try to adhere to the rules of this place, @ASilentObserver...but this time I gotta be honest here. Your question is utterly oblivious.
Listen, I get it...as a volunteer who runs the forums, being compassionate is a part of the gig. So you have to ask these questions to encourage someone to express his/her thoughts or whatnot. That's wonderful. But, sometimes, compassion alone doesn't help.
What do you think inspired me to come up with that list? Why would anyone come up with a list like that to begin with? We Cupsers don't come here because we're well-adjusted & bursting with vibrant good health.
There's an old saying you've surely heard once or twice: "necessity is the mother of invention." Think carefully about this for a minute. Please.
@slowdecline48 Thank you for sharing your perspective and feedback, Slow. I will keep that in mind. but the intention is to discuss more. I get that necessity is the mother of invention and I acknowledge we are all here to get support. Here inspiration means out of all items in your access or not access, you picked very specifically a few items for your tool kit. So you probably have put a lot of thought into picking them. they are not auto random generated lists. So when you put that thought, it might be that one of the items from that list you used in the past and it comforted you, so that is why you want that now. So sharing those reasons is what I focused to when I asked that question but maybe it didn't capture it that well as I intended it to be.
@ASilentObserver Maybe, maybe not, maybe I should've understood your intent better; at this point who knows...
Anyway, the reasons for my "wellness kit" choices are that 1) I have Meniére's disease, 2) I never know when it'll flare up & I'll need to sit or lie down, 3) I would like to be able to travel, whenever I need or want to. In fact I would like to maintain some kind of functionality, even if only for a few more years.
@slowdecline48 It is alright, Slow. thank you for sharing and I am glad you shared your perspective above. I appreciate the feedback. It sounds like you are experiencing a lot of uncertainty with your condition. Managing symptoms and maintaining quality of life must be challenging. I hope this wellness kit bring some comfort and support to you and please know you have all of us here to support you.
my list is short:
- my voice, and ideally an instrument to accompany myself singing
- a yoga mat, to allow me to stretch and exercise
- a few good books (and if the thought exercise is along the lines of being stranded with these items, books that can be read over and over again). maybe poetry.
and, I'll borrow the idea that others have put out there of something to journal with.
these things/activities are what keep me in balance.
@PurplePrune5753 Thank you for sharing your wellness kit list with us prune. It sounds like you have chosen items that help nourish your mind, body, and soul. You are dedicated to self-care, and that is truly admirable.