What’s In My Mental Health Crisis Kit

Mental health crisis kit? What’s this girl on about? You may or may not have heard of mental health crisis kits before, but I just know by the end of this post you’re be making one for yourself. They may seem like such a simple idea but can be super efficient if you struggle with a mental illness. Or even if you don’t I reckon it would help you out a lot. We can all have bad mental health days, so it’s key to have something up your sleeve to support you during the more difficult days.

Okay, so I actually haven’t explained what a mental health crisis kit is. Great start Nicole. Okay so essentially what they are is a first aid kit for your mental health. Instead of being filled with plasters and tweezers, it’s filled with the things you will need that help ground yourself when you hit crisis point.

The most important thing is that if you're going to create a kit, it includes things which will help you. This post looks at what I have in my mental health crisis kit because it helps me. That doesn’t mean that it will help you too. There are so many things you can include in your kit. If you are stuck for ideas, a quick Google will give you the answers. You can include anything. The only criteria are that it helps you. Let’s delve into my crisis kit, shall we?

 ESSENTIAL OILS

I love having a safe smell. Something which grounds me when I’m anxious or having a panic attack. Which is why I carry my Trisserland rollerball on me in my crisis kit. You can find out more about how aromatherapy can help your mental health HERE.

GLASSES CLEANERS

Self-explanatory really but when you cry and wear glasses, the two don’t usually mix very well. Which is why I always keep a stash of these in my mental health crisis kit  

PAPER AND PENS

On bad mental health days, it’s easy to be suffocated by a constant stream of negative thoughts. Sometimes it’s best to just get them out of your head. Talking to someone you trust is essential, but as you can’t carry a mini person in your bag at all times,  pen and paper will have to do. Scribbling everything that is on your mind, ripping the paper up and throwing it away can be strangely satisfying.

LETTERS PHOTOS  AND SPECIAL MEMORIES

This may seem like such a silly thing to have in my crisis kit, but you will know if you struggle with depression that on the bad days it can be easy to get lost in a cycle of negative thoughts. Thinking that no one loves you, the world would be better of without you etc. Which is why keeping letters and photos from the good times with me is a lovely reminder that my life isn’t always a misery.

INHALER

If I have a panic attack, I can get very out of breath. This is not ideal when you have Asthma. So I always make sure I have my inhalers on me. If you have medication specifically for your mental health, I would definitely include that.

MAKEUP WIPES

When I hit crisis point, I can get very distressed. During this time I couldn’t give two tosses what I look like, but when I’ve managed to pull myself together, black circles around my eyes and tear marks on my cheeks are not the look I’m going for, so it’s important to me to have something to clean myself up with afterwards.

TISSUES

When I reach crisis point or even if I’m just having a bad mental health day, I cry A LOT! And when I say a lot I mean a lot. Which is why I need as many packets of tissues as humanly possible in my mental health crisis kit.

HEADPHONES

I mean it’s very rare you will ever catch me outside my house without my headphones, mainly because they are such an essential part of my mental health crisis kit. Sometimes we just need to block the world out. Nothing does this better than headphones. Plus it means I can listen to my 50 feel-good songs playlist. You can see what is on that playlist HERE

MY PHONE

Kind of like the headphones, it’s rare you will ever see me leave my house without my phone. My phone is such a key part of my mental health crisis kit. Not only does it give me access to support from my friends and family with just a few clicks. It also means I can be distracted.  YouTube is my best friend when it comes to being cheered up thanks to this mornings comedy gold bloopers.

That’s it! Am exclusive look in mental health crisis kit. I hope this has inspired you to create your own. Don’t forget all this stuff works for me. It may not work for you.  

Let me know if you would want a post of ideas of what to include in a mental health crisis kit.

What do you include in your mental health crisis kit? Let me know in the comments below!

Thanks for reading, as always X

Check out my November advertisers here: Welsh Mum of one, Elf Vintage and Lylia Rose