Looking for the perfect gift or holiday care package for a loved one in your life living with mental health issues? This guide was made for you!
One of our most popular ATSO mental health blog posts is “Mental Health Care Package – 10 Things to Include” and with the holiday season upon us, we at ATSO wanted to gift our readers with a holiday edition of one of their favorite posts!
What to Include in a Mental Health Care Package – Holiday Edition graphic by Kenise, ATSO
Your loved ones are lucky to have you in their life. Your support, care, and want to help truly are and mean everything to those of us living with mental health disorders. I am so thankful you exist and that you are here.
So let’s jump in! Here are 10 things to include in a mental health holiday care package – holiday gift guide edition!
Disclosure: ATSO is a participant in affiliate advertising programs that help us fund our mental health advocacy mission. Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, we will earn a commission on purchases made using our link. Thank you!
1. Once again we are recommending a grocery, or even better yet, a food delivery service gift card.
Photo of groceries and an Instacart gift card
The holidays are a busy time of year and one that is often accompanied by cold weather that can discourage us from leaving the house, plus holiday meals and dishes that need to be made for holiday get-togethers.
When living with mental health disorders, it can be difficult to leave our house on drearier days, even if we need to go to the store for necessities like food. This is why having a food delivery service or grocery store gift card can be an especially useful addition to a holiday care package!
Finance anxiety can also accompany many mental health disorders, especially when calculating in therapy and medication costs. Gifting your loved one with mental health disorders a grocery card gift card can be super helpful. Especially since often for the holidays we are asked to make some sort of holiday dish to bring to get-togethers, and no one needs the stress of not being able to afford holiday groceries.
2. A tool for tidying their space that will make cleaning much easier for them!
Image of white cordless power cleaner via Amazon
It can be hard to find the desire to clean and organize your space when your mind already feels like a mess. And our environments can directly affect our attitudes, perceptions, and productivity.
So buying something to help your loved one keep their space clean can be a great way to support them and their mental health! Able to splurge a little? Check out an automatic robot vacuum or a small dishwasher appliance (especially useful for our loved ones with a small space, a constantly growing pile of dishes, and no dishwasher). It will make for a holiday care package they will never forget.
3. A slow cooker!
Image of black slow cooker via Amazon
This is especially useful for our loved ones who have trouble cooking, don’t have much time to cook, or don’t have much energy to cook. A slow cooker can help your loved one make more nutritious and cozy meals at home, which is extra nice on those cold winter days!
If the loved one you’re sending a holiday care package to lives somewhere cold, a slow cooker can help them feel warm and cozy on even the coldest and busiest of days.
4. A new fluffy or weighted blanket.
Image of fluffy white blanket via Amazon
I have never met a single person with mental health disorders who hasn’t instantly been entranced by a super cozy, fluffy, and inviting blanket. It is extra pleasing to our senses and can help us calm down and feel safe.
Weighted blankets are known for being great for anxiety, and while a bit more expensive than the average blanket, they are worth it. The added weight helps one stay grounded, feel calmer, and can help one sleep better!
A blanket adds an extra cozy vibe to any holiday care package.
5. A monthly subscription to something they love.
A monthly subscription to something they love graphic by Kenise, ATSO
This is an ideal light-hearted gift for a loved one struggling with depression and suicidal ideations. A common and recommended practice in therapy when dealing with a lack of motivation to live is to plan events to look forward to. This helps create more hope for the future.
Planning can feel like a daunting task when struggling with mental health, so by buying a subscription for your loved one, you are taking all of the planning stress away! They will love looking forward to this monthly gift.
6. A gift card to their favorite mental health company! *cough cough, ATSO*
ATSO gift certificate available via our Vagaro scheduling platform
We are now offering ATSO gift cards for purchase, they can be used on all of our products including our mental health and guidance sessions, and they never expire!
We are one of the first mental health services to be offering gift cards, and we are hoping to make this a norm in the industry. Many people need therapy and mental health guidance but can’t afford it or feel too stressed making the purchase themselves. When struggling with mental health, it can be hard to justify purchases for ourselves when we are doubting our self-worth. That’s why therapy and mental health guidance gift cards can be so helpful!
I am not a licensed mental health care practitioner (yet), but I am pursuing my master’s degree in psychology and receiving all A’s, plus I have a lifetime of experience living with mental health disorders myself.
7. A planner to help them stay organized for the coming year.
Black Mental Health Friendly Weekly Planner
A planner can be an amazing addition to a holiday care package to give to your loved one living with mental health disorders to help them feel more prepared for the coming year. There are many different types of planners you can buy, but I recommend buying one that is at least the size of your hand, no bigger than an 8.5 in x 11 in piece of paper, and that reminds you of your loved one’s style and aesthetic.
If your loved one typically finds planners or lists of any kind stressful, then I definitely recommend our ATSO mental health-friendly weekly planners. Our planners were designed specifically for people who hate lists but want to stay organized. Our planner design minimizes list anxiety and is designed with better mental health in mind. Additionally, our planners are eco-friendly and 5% of the proceeds go to the mental health non-profit, TWLOHA. So your gift-giving can go even further!
8. A portable blender!
Image of pink portable blender via Amazon
A portable blender isn’t necessarily a gift you would think of right away when looking for something to support your loved one’s mental health, but it is a true unsung hero of mental health life hacks.
Eating more fruits and vegetables can improve not only our physical health but also our mental health. Eating more fruits and vegetables provides our brains with the vitamins and minerals they need to help us be happier and experience less depressive symptoms.
A portable blender is easy to use, easy to store, easy to charge, and an underrated great addition to a holiday care package that will help your loved one eat more fruits and veggies!
9. A new ergonomic pillow so they can get their best sleep.
Image of ergonomic pillow for better sleep via Amazon
A new ergonomic pillow will help your loved one sleep more soundly, allowing them to feel more fully rested. People living with mental health disorders need more sleep than a person living without mental health disorders as we spend so much extra energy throughout the day managing our minds and symptoms.
Help your loved one sleep more soundly by enhancing their sleep space and adding a new pillow to their holiday care package!
10. Make them a ‘get out of social event free’ card they can use to take some extra guilt-free time for themselves and their mental health.
Get out of social event free card graphic by Kenise, ATSO
Living with mental health disorders means that sometimes, even when we want to socialize, we end up not having the energy to make it to said social event. It isn’t because we don’t want to see you. It’s because we don’t feel like ourselves and our mind is telling us we need to recharge.
You can make a ‘get out of social event free’ card inspired by the Monopoly game ‘get out of jail free’ card with paper and writing materials you find around your space. This is a super affordable gift that will make your loved one feel seen, supported, and understood. It’s a perfect addition to any holiday care package.
If you don’t have the time to make the care package from scratch but still want to send some love and support, then I recommend using a site like HappyBox! Pick what you want, and they’ll make and send the care package for you!
Thank you for reading, happy holidays, and happy holiday care package making!
Always yours,
Sara, ATSO
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