Build Your Own Sensory Kit (for self-soothing)
TAB: Self-soothe with the six (or seven) senses!
Think through your 5 senses and name a calming experience associated with each of the senses. Movement is considered a sixth sense. And technically we have a 7th Sense - Our Sense of Humor.
At Orientation you received a box with various self-soothe items inside...Personalize this box or any container into a self-soothing kit for $10 gc.
Below are some thoughts of items that others keep in their kits that were meaningful in regulating their emotions.
Some common ingredients to a successful sensory kit:
Sight/Vision: Go to your favorite place and take in all the sights; look at a photo album; zone out to a poster/picture; notice colors in a sunset; people watch.
Use things that are your favorite color.
A wallet-sized picture of someone or something you enjoy
Landscapes are common.
Baby animals!
Funny photos
Pictures, calm scenes. You can go all out with this using a folder on their phone.
Blowing bubbles
Positive affirmations
Touch: Take a long bath or shower; pet your dog or cat; get a massage; brush your hair; hug or be hugged; put a cold cloth on your head; change into your most comfortable clothes.
Travel-sized play dough, or putty
Soft objects
Stress relief Magnets
Stress balls
Tactile beads
Wood, metal, etc.
Rubber bands
Rubbing stones
Beanbags
Kneading eraser
Soft fabric or squeeze ball
Sound/Hearing: Listen to your favorite music and play it over and over again; pay attention to sounds in nature (birds, rain, thunder, traffic); play an instrument or sing; listen to a sound machine.
Clickers
MP3 player playlist
Music boxes
Nature sounds
Classical music
Running/moving water
Bells
Taste: Eat some of your favorite foods; drink your favorite nonalcoholic beverage; have your favorite flavor of ice cream; really notice the food you eat; eat one thing mindfully; don’t overdo it!
Hard candy
Sour or hot candies.
Gum
Mints
A favorite snack
Smell: Put on your favorite lotion; use a scented aftershave or body wash; make cookies or popcorn; smell freshly brewed coffee; go to the park and “smell the roses.”
Scented wax melt or candle
Aromatherapy oils
Travel sized scented hand sanitizers
Lavender is quite popular
Perfumes
Menthol, commonly used for soothing colds.
Scratch and sniff stickers
Movement:
Taking a walk
Rock yourself gently
Stretch
Go for a run
Do yoga
Dance!
7th Sense: A Sense of Humor:
A guy goes to a psychiatrist. ``Doc, I keep having these two dreams. First, I'm a teepee; then I'm a wigwam; then I'm a teepee; then I'm a wigwam. It's driving me crazy. What's wrong with me?'
The doctor replies: 'You gotta relax. You're two tents.' (Too Tense)
