Creating a Mood Basket/Box
Making a mood box Many survivors find creating a mood box (or a mood basket) is a helpful way to regulate their feelings and emotions. A mood basket is particularly useful as it can be easily transported between rooms or locations, while a box with a lock will ensure greater privacy.
ACTIVITY
Making a mood box Find a pleasing box or basket, which you can customise, and place things into it that calm you, bring you pleasure or which you find inspirational. These can include calming images, cards or postcards, meaningful pebbles, stones, or crystals, favourite photographs, flowers or your favourite music playlists.
Other items could include a favourite DVD, book, poem or quotation, a calming scent or aroma, objects from a time or place associated with good memories, jewellery from a loved one, a piece of cloth or a soft toy. What you put in your mood box will be unique and meaningful to you.
The only guideline is that it helps you to change your mood when you are feeling sad, overwhelmed or anxious. Start by creating the basket with items already in your possession and gradually add any other meaningful items that will help you on your journey. Ideally, it helps to include items that stimulate all of the five senses: smell, sight, sound, touch and taste.
Making a โcookie jarโ Central to your recovery is celebrating your achievements, to validate your courage and restore self-confidence and self-esteem. It also reminds you of your sense of purpose and your progress. A good way of rewarding yourself along the way is to make a โcookie jarโ.
ACTIVITY
To make a โcookie jarโ, write down positive things about yourself on small strips of paper. These could include your positive qualities; compliments people have paid you or your accomplishments and achievements. Find a suitable jar or container or customise an old jam jar. Next, roll each strip up and place inside your โcookie jarโ.
Whenever you want to reward yourself, or remind yourself of positive things in your life, take out a โcookieโ and read it out loud.
