How To Create a Distress Toolbox?

Take care of yourself at times of distress with your distress toolbox

Photo by Erda Estremera on Unsplash

Our daily lives can be with bumps and speed-breakers making our journey unpleasant. If I try to talk in a technical way, I would like to call those bumps and breakers as distress, which often indicates towards extreme anxiety, sorrow or pain. So what should we do at the time of such distress, and how do we keep holding at such circumstances? That’s where a distress tool box come into my mind.

A Distress may look like :

• Increased worry, fear, and feelings of being overwhelmed ..
• Depressive symptoms that persist and/or intensify;
• Inability to focus or concentrate accompanied by decreased academic or work performance or performance of other daily tasks;
• Sleep difficulties;
• Excessive crying;
• Isolating or withdrawing from others, and fear of reaching out to friends or family;
• Unhealthy coping (e.g., increased alcohol or drug use, engaging in risky/impulsive behaviors; disordered eating practices);
• A persistent feeling of hopelessness and or paralyzing fear about the future;
• Sudden anger or irritability, or noticeable changes in personality;
• Suicidal thoughts, feelings, and plans for self-harm.

Creating a Distress Checklist

A distress toolbox typically mean a checklist or a box with all tools required to cope with your distress. Now the tool can be any item/product that can ease your stress.

My Self-Care Checklist (17 item checklist)

1. Have a chocolate ice-cream
2. Practice yoga
3. Water my plants
4. Dancing wild
5. Cry out loud
6. Sing a crazy song
7. Mirror gazing and talking to self
8. Walk and walk
9. Cuddle the four-legged ones
10. Cuddle my bullu…( my soft toy)
11. Journal…Pen everything down….
12. Clean-organize my room
13. Take a long bath…
14. Go for a ride
15. Meet my uncle and aunt
16. Call my Dad….
17. Eat delicious food….

Creating a distress toolkit

The toolbox or your good memory box….can literally be a box or small bag with all your favorite things in it. All tools in the box should be of some significance and should be a soothing experience for you. It may include

1. Old letters from your loved ones
2. Photographs and memories from past memorable events
3. Your favorite pen or dress…or your an accessory or a medal received in your high school , or your favorite geometry box….Your favorite birthday gift….
4. Your most loved toy..
5. Article or news clippings with your favorite poem published…