This article is a chapter from my DIY Therapy: Self Help Skills book. It describes how you may put together your own self-help resource. I created it before the widespread use of the internet. If the digital world should happen to go bye-bye in the future, this information will be very useful to you. (You may also modify this kit so that it can be used for different things like, recipes, ideas, inventions, artwork, and so on.)
I have also included a YouTube video I made using my own kit as an example, at the end of this post.
The following suggestions will help you create an accessible self-help resource (i.e. a DIY Therapy Kit) that is suited to your own needs and wants. Store all the material mentioned below in a basket, box, or case as this makes it easy to take with you when traveling, moving, etc.
DIY Therapy Notebook
Purchase a notebook to record the type of information listed below. Before you begin, number the pages but leave the first one blank for the Table of Contents. Then, categorize the information by the following headings/sub-headings:
Favorite Stress Relieving Techniques
This can include your best relaxation methods, physical exercises, remedies, hobbies, etc. You can create sub-headings for these techniques and products, such as, Meditations, Natural Remedies, and so on. My various lists include the following: writing, walks in nature, reading inspirational material, taking the Rescue Remedy, meditations involving the ocean and repeating the mantra, “This too shall pass.”
Preferred Therapists and Practitioners
Here, you may include doctors and medical specialists as well as psychological therapists and alternative healers. My list is a mixed bag – medical doctor, kinesiologist, spiritual/energy healers, and counselor, including all of their contact details. Over time you will add and subtract from this list as your therapeutic requirements change.
Other Useful Self-help Resources
These resources include a range of things such as websites, self-help/support groups and organizations. They are useful if you want or need some other specific type of assistance (e.g. for an addiction, a medical condition, or phone counseling). These can be found in the phonebook but creating your own list makes them much easier to access.
Literature
If your most important self-help/New Age/Holistic/inspirational books and magazines do not fit in your Kit then find a place to keep them that is easy to access (e.g. in one section of your bookshelf, or a corner of your desk). You may want to photocopy some pertinent pages and keep them in a folder in your Kit.
DIY Oracle Cards
Make your own cards using words, or phrases that will help you decide what to do in a difficult situation. This is not about delving deeply into issues but rather a way to quickly clear up confusion. Buy a pack of visiting cards, or cardboard pieces. You may use colored paper and writing material. Get creative and draw on the cards or use other decorations like glitter and stickers. My deck consists of over twenty words/phrases including – YES, NO, BEWARE, TRUST YOURSELF, WAIT and ADVANCE. As you shuffle your cards ask: “What is needed right now?” or “Is this a good idea?”
You may also create a deck of inspirational quotes created by yourself or others. Choose one when you are feeling down, or to motivate you at the beginning of the day.
Some examples:
“Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.” (Oscar Wilde)
“The Power is not in you – IT IS YOU.” (Helen Papadopoulos)
“If everyone approves of what you are doing, I urge you to reconsider what you are doing.” (Saint Germain)
