This is one that I LOVE already: The Comfort Box! The idea is to take any box with a lid (shoe box, file box, oatmeal box, etc.) and fill it with items that are comforting, set aside for times of stress, depression, anxiety, fears, and overwhelming emotions. One of the best parts is that the box can be as plain or as decorated as desired, not requiring any level of craftiness or artistic ability, but decorating it can be just as therapeutic as the items inside. For mine, I chose a simple file box from Walmart and covered it in soft, snuggle-fabric that was seventy-percent off on President’s Day.
Through this exercise, I learned that the things that comfort me are the ones that remind me that I am loved. Just for example, here are the things that are located inside my box for the difficult moments:
- Small teddy bear- bought on sale after Valentine’s day because it helps me to have something to hold
- Red scarf sprayed with hubby’s cologne- reminds me of our dating/courting days in college
- Five small $1 candles from Walmart for sensory/mindfulness
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- Baked Apple Pie/Hazelnut- Both calming scents that I love
- Mandarin Sunset- Sweet, and uplifting
- Honeysuckle- Takes me back to my home growing up
- Lime-Coconut- Takes me back to the strange candle my dad bought for me during college that made me feel cared for during one of the hardest times in my life
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- Chocolates- Three different kinds because a girl needs her chocolate and my mood determines what type I need at the time.
- Pictures of Hubby and me while we were dating
- Cards- two from my husband from when we were dating, two from people who have been encouragements to me along the way
- Pictures with specific verses- While much of Scripture triggers me, there are a few verses that were helps through the trauma and after the trauma at different times
- Poem from “She Rises”- to help in the times when I do not see the point in trying
- Lotion from Bath and Body Works- sensory/mindfulness/calming
- Blanket (blue and black, plush)- For comfort in the hard times, a place to hide, and maybe a way to snuggle when my husband is with me because he has been my rock through so many trials
- Roses (fake, one blue, one pink)- Takes me back to growing up with my mom and romantic gifts from my husband
Now, if my husband made a comfort box, I imagine it would likely be filled with comic books (DC and Marvel), Super Mario figures, cans of Mountain Dew, and video games, but to each their own. When I was looking at going into surgery last week, preparing for the possibility of a repeat mental health crises following the procedure, I was able to take some time to myself, open the box and remember that I am not alone, and that there is a reason to keep fighting. Today, after another anxiety attack during church, this box is a reminder that there are, in fact, good times and my home is a safe place despite the chaos. It is a designated place to find comfort in times of anxiety and distress, times of triggers or reminders, or when depression seems to take over and hope is waning fast. And it is made specifically to meet MY needs at the time, not a generic one-size-fits-all sort of prescription for the pain.
*For more art therapy ideas from Managing Traumatic Stress through Art, check out the full list of exercises from the blog post: “Managing Traumatic Stress Through Art.”
