Winter Survival Kits: Creative Self-Care in the Colder Months

In the winter months, as the days grow shorter and the light gets dimmer, creativity is more needed than ever.

Winter Survival Kits are a simple, pocket-sized creative project that can help you to get through the holidays and the cold season. They are small, personalized boxes that you can decorate in ways that bring you joy, and you can then fill them with items that help you to stay grounded, inspire creativity, and be mindful during the winter months.

About 5% of adults in the U.S experience seasonal affective disorder, and the wintertime can everely exacerbate many other general mental health struggles. As the clock falls back and the season changes, the darkness of winter can make many people feel stressed, sad, or otherwise not like themselves. Creativity in its countless forms can serve as an amazing outlet to cope, process, and keep calm. According to the American Psychiatric Association, about half of Americans use creativity as a way to relieve stress and anxiety. There are numerous benefits of creativity when it comes to mental health, from self-expression to processing trauma to simply taking a step back, breathing deep, and letting your mind rest and your creative spirit flow.

I have always turned to creative projects in difficult times - knitting as a meditative practice, writing a song to process my feelings, drawing a picture of something beautiful in nature…the act of making something can truly be healing.

This specific activity is a simple way to enjoy the calming effects of the creative process, and also provides you with a mindful tool to carry with you through the winter. A small piece of creativity in your back pocket can serve as a reminder of warmth, strength, and your own unique ability to make something, even in the darkest months of the year.

Enjoy the process of creating your survival kit using a small tin and any other supplies of your choosing: use paper, paints, fabric, and glue or Mod Podge to decorate the lid and interior of your tin, picking colors, patterns, or images that bring you some joy and peace.

Think about the things you might put in your survival kit that can help to ground you or relieve stress, whether that means slowly savoring a piece of chocolate, sipping on a calming cup of herbal tea, touching a soft piece of fabric, or reading a quote that might bring you comfort or inspiration. Make yours unique to your own needs, circumstances, and personality. Fill the tin with soft fabrics, treasured buttons, tea bags, chocolates, gem stones, handwritten messages, special quotes, or anything else that might soothe your mind.

Carry your survival kit with you to family dinners, keep it on your bedside table, or tote it around in your pocket or purse. Take it out anytime you need a reminder of light or a bit of extra support.

Creating a Winter Survival Kit is one of many ways that you can channel your creativity in the wintertime. Try this activity out and see how it makes you feel! And carry it with you as you brave the cold winter and wait for the sun to come out again. Feel free to share your creations with us at info@art-equals.org!