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Encouragement and Gift

Giving during the Holidays

Is someone in your life struggling with mental illness or reaching for sobriety?
The holiday season can be especially challenging for those who are in recovery. What can you do to help?

Being Supportive

Let your loved one know that you support them in their recovery journey, and that you are available to talk or just listen.

Gift-Giving

Gifts don’t have to be large or costly. It really is the thought that counts, and you can share your caring by assembling a little self-care package with just a few of the following ideas…
Create a mental wellness care package. In much the same way a Get Well Soon package can cheer an individual suffering from a physical ailment, a mental wellness care package can offer support and care for mental health. Consider including items like those mentioned in the grounding kit below, as well as a self-guided journal or notepad, short handwritten notes from you and other loved ones or friends, photographs of happy times, candles, bath salts, and lip balm.

 

 

Create a personalized five senses grounding kit. Grounding techniques based on the five senses – sound, smell, sight, taste, and touch – can be vital in helping individuals who live with anxiety or PTSD to remain in the present moment. Grounding techniques can promote mindfulness or serve as a distraction, a re-focusing from distressing thoughts or memories. Here are some simple elements to consider including:

 

Sound – a mindful music playlist or CD, or an audiobook

Smell – essential oils like peppermint and lavender are known for their calming effects

Sight – a set of colored pencils and a coloring book provide both visual and tactile options to help an individual focus on a present moment

Taste – a variety or candies or tea engage the sense of taste; tea has the added benefits of engaging other senses in the ritual of making the tea.

Touch – simple playdough or brightly colored pipe cleaners offer tactile and creative elements.

Subscriptions and gift cards don’t have to be impersonal! Consider subscriptions or gift cards related to streaming services for TV or music, a subscription to a yoga or meditation smartphone app, or a free mental health SOS app like notOK, which immediately connects an individual, including yourself, with five people in their support network to alert them that they need support.

Giving Back

Another way to support those in recovery is to buy gifts that give back. Consider making a donation to Terros Health in honor of a loved one in recovery. Your contributions to Terros Health directly support community programs that Inspire Change for Life, including family safety and reunification services, children’s and at-risk youth services, housing and food insecurity coordination, HIV/STI prevention, suicide prevention, and educational scholarships for direct service providers. Learn more at https://www.terroshealth.org/donate/.