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