I have always held to the belief that you could never truly help someone else until you’ve first helped yourself. It’s not a selfish thing by any means, but instead a matter of self-care. I am very passionate about self-care and loving yourself, even though I am not always the best at it. Ironic, I know – but I am constantly striving to be more intentional and better in this area.
A few months ago I shared about why you should make self-care a priority, as well as tips on how to. I was blown away by all of the heartfelt feedback I received in the comments and even across social media. To this day, it’s still blowing up on Pinterest and is one of my most viewed posts. I think that speaks for itself on how we should all be focusing more on self-care!
I think one of my most favorite things about being passionate about self-care is that self-care looks different for every person. I love that you can form your self-care routine or needs to exactly what your heart beats for. Self-care should be fun, not monotonous. Because I am such a huge advocate and believer in fun self-care, today I am going to give some of my best tips on how to create your very own emergency self-care kit! Don’t worry, I’ll be sharing some of my go-to items that are in mine, as well!
Have you ever had such a bad day where all you wanted to do was just go home and sleep? This happens to me more often than I wish. While sleep is a very important necessity when it comes to self-care, it is possible to turn it into an unhealthy habit. Instead of turning to sleep to get away from your bad day, you should have an emergency self-care kit on hand to help you retreat and set a more positive state of mind.
What should go in your emergency self-care kit? Well, that’s completely up to you! But to get you started, I figured I’d remind you of some practical tips in choosing what to add to your kit. It’s super simple and a blast to create.
[bctt tweet=”We all have times where we need to retreat, which is why YOU NEED an emergency self-care kit!” username=”SummerTelban”]
HOW TO CREATE AN EMERGENCY SELF-CARE KIT:
1. Choose A Container // Choose a box or bag that’ll be best to fit all of your self-care items in. I actually have two self-care kits going – a smaller one in a box and one in one of my office drawers.
2. Choose Your Self-Care Items // Choosing your self-care items for your kit is so much fun. There isn’t any certain quantity you should have, so you can go as big or as small as you need to. Remember that self-care is about making yourself feel refreshed and relaxed, so choose things that bring you joy. When deciding on your items think about…
- Things that make your feel relaxed and comforted
- Things that make you feel pampered and beautiful
- Things that encourage and inspire you
3. Find A Practical Spot To Keep It // Your emergency self-care kit is yours, so place it in a practical spot where you don’t forget about it, but also a place that’s private for you.
WHAT’S IN MY EMERGENCY SELF-CARE KIT:
In my current emergency self-care kit I have 9 key items that help me when I’m in desperate need of some self-care time. The majority of these items I use on an everyday basis, but when I use them outside of the everyday and in times when I need to perk up, they truly help!
1. Nail Polish // Ladies, I don’t know about any of you, but painting my nails always makes me feel better. Painting my nails is not only therapeutic to me, but it also makes me feel like my life is put together. I have said this many times before, but I love my neutral and more gray tones when it comes to nail polish all the way to clothing. But for my self-care kit, I chose colors that make me feel more upbeat.
2. Lotion // I love lotion almost more than I love a good body spray or perfume. When a lotion smells delicious and makes my skin feel super soft, it’s like a win, win for me. I enjoy interchanging the lotion scents from time to time, as well. Got to keep things fresh!
3. Sea Salt Spray // While curling my hair always makes me feel great, I love to keep things natural with a good sea salt spray. Sea salt spray is great for adding texture and a beachy wave to my hair. Beachy waves always make me feel carefree.
4. Lipstick // Gosh, I don’t know what it is about lipstick, but it never fails to make me feel fabulous and beautiful. Typically, I draw to my nudes and light pinks for everyday lipstick shades, but on the days where I need an extra boost to feel fabulous, I break out my bold lipsticks. I swear, somedays lipstick makes me feel unstoppable.
5. So Worth Loving T-Shirt // I have been an advocate of the small business, So Worth Loving since they first started back in 2011. So Worth Loving is a lifestyle brand centered around loving yourself and loving others. Their apparel is perfect to rock on any day, but especially on those days where you need extra love. Seriously, you need to grab one of their tees! (And no, I’m not being paid to say this – I just love their brand a ton and want others to know about their mission!)
6. Bath Bombs // Bath bombs are the bomb. I have always been one to love a good bubble bath or oatmeal bath growing up, but now I’m all about the bath bombs. Not only are they fun to watch fizz and dance around the tub, but they’re also super healthy for your skin. Talk about an instant relaxer!
7. Journal // I think it’s obvious that I love to channel my thoughts and feelings through writing. To be honest, I can’t remember a time where I haven’t been one to do so. I love having a journal to scribble down my frustrations in, but also to jot down all of the joys and gratitude I have. It’s always an eye-opener and always sure to help me put things into perspective.
8. Encouraging Notecards // I am a firm believer in not only encouraging others, but encouraging yourself, as well. While this is an area where I still have much growth to do, having note cards like these help me to focus in on important truths.
*Grab journals and notecards like these over at The Hipster Housewife – her creations are absolutely beautiful.
9. Candle // It’s no secret that candles are some of my favorite things in the world. They smell good, look good, and are soothing at the same time. These should definitely be in everyone’s self-care kit.
Do you have an emergency self-care kit yet? If you do, what are some of the items that you have in your kit? If not, what are some items you’re definitely adding to yours? Let’s chat, friends! Self-care is so important – spread the word!
