Your mental health is your most important asset. If it goes down, everything goes down with us. Not everything will be coming up roses all the time. Some of us battle some serious dragons. A mental health emergency kit is always something to keep in your arsenal. Here are some ideas of what to keep in your mental health emergency kit.
What is a mental health 9-1-1 kit?
A mental health 9-1-1 kit is a physical collection you keep in a safe place. You bring it out when you’re feeling down, anxious, or under a lot of mental pressure. It’s full of good things. It is meant to help you feel better and get you to a place where you feel like you can go out into the world and feel “yourself” again. This is what you bring out after a horrible day. This is what you bring out when you feel like harming yourself or receding back into addiction (including eating disorders) behaviors. This is what you bring out when you feel like dying and you need a reminder as to why you’ve stuck around.
This kit is for your eyeballs only, unless you decide to share it with another trusted soul. The truth is that we have lots of people who love us. However, as much as they may want to at times because they do love us, we can’t place all of our emotional baggage on their shoulders. We may not have a therapist to run to at every hour of the day. There are times when we are going to have to be knee-deep in our own shit and learn how to manage.
This is the perfect tool for managing all those dragons. Why is it the “perfect” tool? Because you made it for you. You make it so it caters specifically to what you need. Below are some suggestions of what to include, but, ultimately, it’s your call.
Things to Include in Your 9-1-1 Kit
- A list of Suicide Hotlines (US only and international numbers)
- old birthday and holiday cards from family and friends
- love letters
- pictures from childhood
- a meaningful piece of jewelry (i.e. a family heirloom, a cherished gift)
- a stuffed animal
- an object from childhood that used to make you feel better
- your favorite non-perishable snack (i.e. popcorn)
- your favorite book
- your favorite movie
- a journal full of empowering quotes
- a coloring book and supplies
- articles like this one or this one to read
Again, these are just some suggestions. The more things you add, the better.