July 24th 2022 is International Self-Care day so let’s talk about Self-Care Toolkits. Self-care involves taking care of yourself by whatever means is best for you to help reduce or minimize the impact of stressors in your life.

It’s helpful to have a self-care box or self-care toolkit ready for when you need to care for yourself. If you have kids, it may be helpful to work collaboratively with them to curate their own self-care kit too. While there are no right or wrong things to include in your self-care toolkit, here are some suggestions based on the 5 senses:

 

Taste: Chocolate, teas, candy, granola bars, snacks, and more

Touch: Favourite blanket/teddy bear/stuffed animal, soft pair of socks, worry stone, body cream, hairbrush, and more

Audio:  Guided meditation recordings, a CD or Spotify mix of your favourite/self-care songs

Aroma/Smell: Incense, candles, essential oils, favourite perfumes, scented Epsom salts, pillow sprays, & other aromatherapy resources

Visual: Himalayan salt lamp, special lamp, pictures of your loved ones or favourite memories, paintings, creative outlet supplies (markers, pencils, sketchbook, paint, and so on).


Other category suggestions include:

Body care items: Muscle rubs, face masks, hair masks, massage oils, body scrubs, nail polish, beauty products, and more.

Spiritual/Leisure items: Favourite books, Bible/Quran/Gutka, favourite poems, and more

Dr. Inverpal Braich

About the Author
Hey! I’m Inverpal. I’m a psychologist and the Director of Clinical Operations at CCIPH. I was born in Toronto, ON but have moved across several cities and provinces in Canada. From a young age, I have been passionate about promoting mental health awareness and increasing the accessibility of mental health services. Due to this passion, I have spent over a decade in the mental health industry, working with several mental health organizations across North America in many diverse roles. I’m also a huge Toronto Raptors fan. In my free time, you can find me playing/watching basketball, watching new movies, learning new things, and spending time with my family.

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