Skip to main content

What's in my mental health survival kit?

Hello and welcome back to The Therapist Diaries, 

It's Wellness Wednesday and today we’re talking about mental health survival kits because let’s be real: adulting is a lot. You’re out there working, commuting, navigating relationships, juggling bills, trying to eat vegetables and remember your login password for the 12th time this week. Some days you feel like you’re in survival mode… because you are.

As a Clinical Social Worker who works with young adults in their 20s and 30s (and as someone firmly in the “functioning but tired” crew), I’ve learned this: mental health isn’t just about therapy or deep healing work. Sometimes it’s about what’s in your bag when everything feels like too much.

So here it is: my on-the-go Mental Health Survival Kit. Some actual, tangible items I (and my clients) carry to stay grounded, centered, and human in the chaos of real life. I keep mine in a small pencil case at the bottom of my bag, it doesn’t have to be anything fancy, just helpful to you. 

Noise-Canceling Earbuds (aka the outside world boundary)

The ability to tune out overstimulating environments (office buzz, crying baby on the train, unsolicited advice) is a gift to your nervous system. I keep a pair of noise-canceling earbuds in my bag at all time, with a comfort playlist already downloaded.

Pro Tip: Create different playlists for moods: comfort, motivation, etc. Music is therapy you can carry.

Sour Patch Kids (or your comfort snack of choice)

Yes, you read that right.Something sweet, sour, crunchy, or nostalgic can help with grounding. When you’re spiraling or overstimulated, sensory grounding helps bring you back to the present. Sour Patch Kids do that for me, they snap me out of my head and into my body. Bonus points if you snack can ground you and it can remind you of childhood joy.

Pocket Journal + Pen (the “brain download” essential)

In my last post I wrote about how putting your thoughts down on paper can be a really useful coping skill. Sometimes the thoughts won’t stop looping. That’s when I reach for a tiny notebook, not a book for pretty journaling, but for messy, uncensored brain downloads.

  • “I’m feeling anxious and I don’t know why.”

  • “I hate that meeting and I think I need a new job.”

  • “Reminder: just breathe.”

Even 90 seconds of writing can release pressure. Get the thoughts out of your brain and onto paper.

Calming Essential Oil or Other scented goodies

A small bottle of lavender, eucalyptus, or citrus oil can do wonders when you’re wound up. Roll a little on your wrists or palms and inhale deeply. It’s not magic, but it helps your body shift from “fight or flight” to “ok, we’re okay.”

Optional: pair with a mantra like “I’m safe right now” or “This moment will pass.”

Affirmations & Reminders

I keep an album in my phone for the rough days. It includes:

  • Texts from people who love me

  • Screenshots of kind messages or memes that made me laugh

  • Voice notes from my boyfriend

It’s a mini pep-talk I can access on the train, in a work bathroom, or during a late-night spiral.it helps motivate me and reminds me that I’m never alone. 

A Tiny “Totem”

Okay, hear me out: having one small object that brings comfort can actually be really grounding. In the bottom of my bag is a bead bracelet I made in a session with a client when I was an intern. When I’m overstimulated I move the beads from side to side any my thoughts settle. Any kind of fidget will do- I also really like poppets, spinners, and nee doh cubes. It’s not childish, it’s neuroscience. Tactile, meaningful objects help us feel more rooted when things feel shaky.

Final thoughts… 

Being a grown-up doesn’t mean you should always be “fine.” It means learning how to care for yourself in small, realistic, non-aesthetic ways, even when the group chat is silent and your to-do list is yelling.

So pack your mental health survival kit.
Fill it with stuff that actually works for you.
Keep it light, keep it kind, and keep it yours.


Until next time—be kind to your mind.

—The Therapist Diaries

For professional inquiries please reach out to georgina.m.lloyd@outlook.com
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Therapist’s Tale: Using Fairy Tales and Fables as Tools for Mindfulness and Mental Health

 Hello and welcome back to The Therapist Diaries,  I recently found myself rewatching one of my favorite childhood TV shows -  Once Upon a Time . For those unfamiliar, it’s a modern-day retelling of classic fairy tales, where Snow White, Rumpelstiltskin, and other beloved characters live double lives in a small town called Storybrooke, completely unaware of their magical origins. I've always loved the storytelling, the magic, and the drama, but watching it now, through the lens of a therapist and mindfulness practitioner, something deeper stood out. Fairy tales are more than whimsical stories for children; they are powerful mirrors of our inner self. At their core they are stories of transformation, much like the journey of healing. They’re filled with moments of struggle, uncertainty, and revelation, echoing the emotional landscape we navigate in therapy. And as surprising as it might sound, these age-old stories offer a powerful metaphor for mindfulness: the process of ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Wicked for Good: There Is No “Right” Way to Respond to Trauma

 Hello and Welcome to the Therapist Diaries,  If you’ve ever watched  Wicked , you probably went in expecting a story about good versus evil. What you may not have expected is a deeply human portrait of trauma, identity, and survival disguised as a musical. When Elphaba and Glinda sing  For Good , it isn’t just about friendship, it’s about how trauma reshapes us, redirects our pathways, and ultimately, transforms who we become. Trauma does not look the same on everyone. In fact, one of the most misunderstood things about trauma is the assumption that there is a “correct” way to respond to it. Some people cry. Some become quiet. Some become angry. Some become driven. Some dissociate. Some rebuild. And some like Elphaba, become the very thing the world once accused them of being. Elphaba’s trauma begins early. She grows up as an outsider, judged for a physical difference she did not choose. She is rejected by her father and mistreated by her peers. Her experience...
Post a Comment
Read more

Stress vs Burnout: How to tell the Difference

  Hello and welcome back to The Therapist Diaries,  Congratulations, you’ve made it through January. However you did that, I’m not here to judge, only to offer a breath of fresh air as we finally step into February… one day closer to Spring! All jokes aside, I found January really stressful. Returning from the holiday period, the beginning of tax season, the lead up to the Super Bowl… there’s just so much going on in one month. This month, I’ve definitely learned  how important it is to take it slow, calm it down, and not let the stress of the season overwhelm us.  Stress and burnout are words we hear and use constantly, often as if they mean the same thing. Many people describe themselves as “burned out” when they’re under a lot of pressure, while others say they’re “just stressed” when what they’re experiencing runs much deeper. Although the two are connected, they aren’t interchangeable, and knowing the difference matters. What helps relieve stress doesn’t always ...
Post a Comment
Read more