12 Self-Care Kit Ideas to Help You Unlock Your Inner Glow
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Life with a chronic illness can be difficult, but it doesn’t have to take away our inner sparkle! Self-care is one of the most important tools we have in our arsenal to fight against physical and mental fatigue. Thankfully, there are lots of creative ways we can nurture ourselves when energy levels are low.
In this blog post, I’m going to share twelve ideas for creating your self-care kit ideas at home. Whether you find yourself on days off work trying to restore energy or just looking for something fun with family members while social distancing, these ideas will help unlock your inner glow!
Table of Contents
Why is self-care important?
Self-care is important because it helps us to manage stress and fatigue associated with a chronic illness. Taking care of ourselves involves more than just eating healthy foods and exercising — although those are important, too! Self-care includes activities that help to reduce feelings of anxiety, depression, and physical pain. It also provides a sense of comfort in difficult times.
Self-care is something that I have been trying to make part of my routine more often. I have noticed an improvement in my chronic pain, and mental health by doing so. Some of the self-care ideas I have started to implement are simple ones that anyone can do. Examples are:
- Joining the book club at the library
I don’t always feel comfortable interacting with people I do not know due to my anxiety. I love to read though and talk about the books that I read. I stepped out of my comfort zone recently and joined the book club at the library. Not only does it get me out of the house to meet new people, but it also makes me read more often in general.
- Taking a day off from work on the blog (I use to work all day/every day)
I absolutely love the work I do on my blog. However, everyone needs a break sometimes. Stepping away and feeding into myself makes me more productive and focused when I am working.
- Taking a walk around the block
I moved to a new area a few months ago. I now live in an area that is flat, so it is easier to walk. I walk around the block at least once a day (Some days it is more) with my rollator. My grandson loves being outside and we will take a walk daily when I am babysitting him. His infant carrier fits perfectly on the seat of the rollator.
- Hanging outside of my apartment building and talking with the neighbors.
As I mentioned, I recently moved. In the building I now live in, there are benches out front and back for residents to use. A lot of people will sit outside to smoke and just talk to each other. We even have a monthly community dinner to celebrate the holiday of that month. I am starting to make some good friends with people. This is something I am not used to, I tend to keep to myself. It is great for my mental health to get out and socialize.
- Spending time on my balcony
On the days I do not feel like socializing, I will sit on my balcony. We all know how important it is to get fresh air. Since I have a private balcony I can sit outside any time of day or night and get some fresh air.
- Going out to lunch
A great gift to yourself is to take yourself out to lunch. It is an easy self-care gift you can give yourself. I love going out to eat in general, and my daughter can not always go with me. I simply go by myself.
- Take a nap and let my body rest
Somedays I do not have enough spoons in the day to function. When I get tired, or too sore, I simply take a nap. I tend to sleep better during the day when I take a nap than when I do at night. I am not sure why this is, my sleep schedule has always been this way. It is important to give your body time to relax and rest during the day even if you don’t actually nap.
- Cooking meals from scratch
While I love to go out to eat, that is not always in the budget for the extra cost. I have collected various recipes I’ve found online over the years. I never got to try a majority of them because no family member that I lived with did not want to try them. This is one of the benefits of living alone. I can not cook what I want when I want. Most of my cooking experience has been in frozen food and processed boxed foods.
I am slowly learning to cook from scratch and always have some left over for at least lunch the next day. Most times I have enough for dinner as well. Cooking from scratch saves money, and also is healthier since I have hypertension. I can also choose to freeze the leftovers for my own freezer meals.
What is a self-care kit?
A self-care kit is a collection of items that bring you joy. It could include anything from activities, books, soothing music, essential oils, crafts, or snacks. By assembling our kits at home and bringing out the things we love when needed, it can help to keep us feeling balanced and renewed – even if life feels chaotic or overwhelming!
We all have these types of items in our homes already. That is what makes home, home. A self-care kit is simply a special collection of these items. Think of it as a personalized gift basket. A self care box is a special collection of your favorite comforting items that are not used every day. It could be a more expensive item of your favorite things that are a sweet treat for yourself. There is really no limit to what you can put in your kit.
A self-care kit also makes the perfect gift for someone you love. Do you have any college students in your family? This is the perfect type of care package from home you can send. College kids need to remember to practice self-care as well.
What are the benefits of a self-care kit?
By taking the time to put together a self-care kit, you’re taking an active step in proactively managing your health. The act of curating and collecting items that bring joy can give us a sense of purpose or connection when we’re feeling disconnected from our lives. Plus, it helps to have ready-made activities on hand so that when life gets hectic, you don’t have to think too hard about how to take care of yourself.
Ways to store your self-care kit ideas
There are a few ways you can store and organize your self-care kit. Choose whichever option works best for you!
• Use a decorative box or basket to keep all of your items in one place.
• Place each item in its own special pouch or bag so that you know exactly where to find what you need when it’s time for some self-care.
• Create a digital album or folder on your phone to store items such as bookmarks, music playlists, and relaxation exercises.
• Hang a bulletin board or string of twinkle lights in your bedroom to hang inspiring cards and messages.
Where in the house to store your self-care kit items
Your self-care kit should be stored in a place that you can easily access, such as your bedroom or living room. Make sure to store it out of sight, so that you don’t become overwhelmed by the items inside when you’re not ready to use them. You can also keep it in your purse or backpack for on-the-go self-care when you’re out and about!
12 Self-Care Kit Ideas
Now that we know what a self-care kit is, let’s talk about what to add to it. As I mentioned this is for YOU. You can add anything you want. This also makes for a great best friend care package. We all need some self-love and self-care sometimes.
1. Spa Supplies
Spa supplies are always a must-have self-care item. There are so many great products on the market you can add. Things like a face mask, bath bombs, and nail polish. Don’t forget bath salts and bath bombs. It is all about pampering yourself and relaxing. Our lives are busy and stressful. This is especially true when you are living with a chronic illness. It is important to rest and let your body relax a bit sometimes.
2. Favorite Book or Movie
A great way to relax and do some self-care is to curl up with your favorite book or movie. We all have a list of movies we love that we can watch over and over again. My Kindle is never that far from me with a good book. When I get lost in a book, I tend to forget the world around me. The benefit is, I don’t concentrate on my pain at that moment. What is your favorite book?
3. Try Journaling
Journaling is a great way to show yourself self-care. Journaling can also help with your mental health. When life gets too difficult, I love to journal my thoughts. It is like having a private conversation with someone yet, I keep my thoughts and feelings to myself.
If you are not sure how to start journaling, you can purchase pre-made journals with themed prompts to get you started. I happen to offer a few different journals with prompts that you can download and print out. Or you can use them with your favorite digital journal program since they are in a . PDF format.
If you prefer a journal that is like a book, I highly suggest The Self Discovery Journal by Michelle D. Garrett. It’s a short journal with only 68 pages. This journal will help to explore more about yourself and what is most important to you.
4. Chocolate
Who doesn’t like chocolate? I’m a self-proclaimed chocoholic. If you are a fan of chocolate like I am, you can splurge and have some good chocolate in your self-care kit. I tend to always have Reese’s cups or Hershey’s bars in the house. I am more of a milk chocolate fan. I’m not really into white chocolate or dark chocolate.
5. Gift Cards/Money
Try to purchase gift cards ahead of time, or put money aside. You are probably wondering what in the world that has to do with self-care. If you have gift cards to your favorite store (or a universal reloadable gift card), or cash on hand you can treat yourself to lunch or some retail therapy and not blow your household budget.
I know there are days I do not want to cook dinner because I don’t feel up to it and especially since I live alone. I love to order food from places like door dash. Since you can not use cash for the apps, this is a great opportunity to use a reloadable gift card like a Visa card.
6. Affirmation Cards
One great source of self-care is affirmations. I have started to implement positive affirmations into my life more. I don’t use them every day (although I should) but I do use them when I need a mental pick-me-up. Affirmations are simply quotes or sayings that you love that inspire positive self-esteem into your day. My friend Michelle over at Diva With a Purpose has a great post about how to use inspirational words (affirmations) in your daily routine.
7. Favorite Blanket
There is something special about curling up in your favorite fuzzy blanket. My grandson absolutely LOVES blankets and loves to curl up with them. Have you ever tried using a weighted blanket? It’s like a big hug without having to actually touch someone. I love to use a blanket no matter what the temperature is. Actually, I do not like to lay in bed without a blanket on me at all times.
8. Favorite Snacks
We all have our favorite snacks. A very simple form of self-care is to simply relax and indulge in your favorite snacks. I have a sweet tooth and love to also have snacks such as chips and crackers as well. When I relax with my favorite snacks, it is the ultimate comfort food and I feel so much better and relaxed.
9. Adult Coloring Books
Studies have shown that participating in coloring as an adult can help you reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression. There is something so soothing about coloring. I often do this during difficult times in life and it really does help. You can also display your finished pages in your home as home decor.
10. Fuzzy Socks
Ah, the comfort of fuzzy socks. They are so warm and cozy. Fuzzy socks are always my “go-to” socks because my ankles swell a lot due to my ankle fusion surgery. With traditional socks, you can see the indentation of the elastic around my ankles after a while. Did you know that a lot of people that live with any type of chronic illness tend to have poor circulation? My feet are always cold, no matter what the temperature is.
11. Noise-canceling Headphones
Do you crave absolute silence to decompress? If so, it may be a great idea to invest in a pair of noise-canceling headphones. They are not only great for listening to music but you can also use them while listening to an audiobook or a movie if you use a tablet/computer. Before I lived alone, I loved to use noise-canceling headphones to tune out the house with them. They worked great to tune out the noisy neighbors as well.
12. Water Bottle
We all know how important it is to stay hydrated for our physical health. When coming up with a list of self-care kit ideas make sure you include a water bottle. If you struggle to drink water I suggest trying a Cirkul water bottle. This is not your typical water bottle.
There are different flavor cartridges that you can purchase that turn regular water into flavored water without all the typical ingredients. You can also dial in your flavor. You can make it stronger or weaker depending on which number you have the dial set to. This is a great way to get in your required water daily but also have some flavor to the water.
Creating a self-care kit is a great way to prioritize your overall well-being. It can help provide much-needed relief and comfort when life gets chaotic or overwhelming. By collecting items that make you smile, you’ll have an arsenal of activities that can help to keep your energy levels high and give you something to look forward to during difficult times.
Taking care of oneself is the first step in living a happy and fulfilled life. A self-care kit can be a great reminder of all the things we have to enjoy – even when life throws us a curveball! So, why not start putting together your own self-care kit today? You’ll be glad you did! What would you add to your self-care kit? The good news is that there is no right or wrong answer.
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