Weekly Wellbeing: DIY Self Care Inventory
This week's activity is about developing an inventory of self care strategies.
I saw something similar online and thought this would be a great Wellbeing idea!
Steps:
- Cut out or rip out strips of paper.
- Write down or draw some self-care strategies on the strips.
- Put them in a bag, box or jar.
When you next feel like you're in need of some TLC, pick a self-care strategy from your inventory!
Some optional ideas:
- Decorate your inventory however way you like.
- Laminate the strips of paper and turn the inventory into a bottle filled with sensory goodies such as water and glitter or slime.
- Include things that make you feel calmer, such as favourite perfumes, skincare items or fidget toys.
- Have inventories tailored to a particular emotion or symptom.
- Make an inventory with activities that you can do with a support person. You could include movies you haven't seen, etc.
- Make an inventory filled with affirmations and inspiring quotes.
- Use different colours for different types of self care.
- Any other possibility you can imagine!
Have fun and feel free to post a photo of your inventory or describe what you put in it in this thread! 🙂
Comments
I love this idea @WheresMySquishy! 
Keen to hear people's self care ideas! I can't think of many ideas to make one for myself so I would actually appreciate some ideas! 🙂
@Tiny_leaf Ooh a liquid motion timer sounds so cool! What other stim toys do you have? When do you find stimming most helpful? Is it like to keep you engaged with a task or to help with distressing emotions or something else? My psych wants me to use 'touch' to ground myself more cause it helps me feel safe so I'm wondering if stimming could help
@Lost_Space_Explorer5 it sounds like stimming's for you!
Though your psych will probably call it tactile stimulation or sensory grounding or something like that, because the word stimming is especially related to autism, which is probably why a lot of people don't know it...
But stimming can be useful for heaps of non-autistic people as well.
Most of my "planned" stims are purely for fun, though I'll occasionally use them to distract me from something distressing or add extra sensory input if I'm understimulated. I also sometimes just stim instinctively when I'm excited or upset, like flapping my hands.
A lot of my stim toys are sparkly, because I love shiny things. Honestly at this point I paint my nails sparkly and use them as a stim toy, it's great.
For touch related stuff, I'd suggest googling "tactile stims" and "tactile sensory toys"
For feeling safe, I'd recommend fluffy things like soft toys, warm things like heat packs, and weighted things like weighted blankets or vests.
@WheresMySquishy ohh that sounds like my stim toy box, exept I just have stim toys instead of written words.
I have a heap of sensory toys in it. My favorite is a liquid motion timer. I also have a lot of squishy things.
