Self-soothing is a distress tolerance skill learnt in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT). Its aim is to alleviate distress through comforting and nurturing oneself when experiencing a crisis.
A self-soothing sensory kit is designed to be accessible when someone is experiencing heightened emotions or distress. Self-soothing is done using the five senses – sight, sound, taste, touch and smell. The kit can be as small or large as you wish – the idea is to find items that help you cope during overwhelming situations. You can keep them in a designated area, whether that is in a box, cupboard or play area. They are there to provide positive feelings through the use of external cues.
Creating your own kit is easy. You don’t necessarily have to go out and buy items; many of these are available in most households. Here are some ideas of items to build your own self-soothing sensory kit.
Adults
Sight:
- Photos of loved ones
- Photos of animals
- A DVD of your favourite movie or home videos
Sound:
- An iPod Playlist
- Noise cancelling headphones
- Sound app
Taste:
- Your favourite snacks
- Herbal tea or hot chocolate
Touch:
- Stress ball
- Feathers
- A hair brush
- A soft blanket
- Patting or curling up with your pet
Smell:
- Scented candles
- Essential oils
- Perfume
- Cook a fragrant meal
Children
Sight:
- Colouring in books
- A kaleidoscope
- Calm down jar (mix glitter glue, water and their favourite toys in a jar. Shake up the jar and allow them to watch it until the glitter settles)
Sound:
- Music box
- Audio book
- Small instruments (tambourine, xylophone)
Taste:
- Chew jewellery
- Washcloth to suck on
- Teethers
Touch:
- Silly putty
- Plush toys
- A touch and feel picture book
- Hand size bean bags
- Tactile beads
- Spikey ball
- Squigglet sensory bracelets
Smell:
- Scratch and sniff stickers
- Scented play dough
- Room spray
This is an amazing idea and the first time I ever heard of it. It should be told to teachers, all therapists should be letting us patients know.