Make your own OK Kit

For this project, you will need:

A journal or paper

A small container like an old candy tin or box

Materials for decorating, like: papers and magazines for collaging, decorating tapes, stickers, fabrics (old socks are great for adding a little cozy carpeting inside your box)

Glue stick or Mod Podge (this is a kind of glue that you can also brush on top of your paper and pictures to create a smooth, protective finish)

(If using Mod Podge) A foam brush or paintbrush

Writing materials (pens/pencils/markers)

Long strips of paper

String

(optional) Paint pens

Here is our Supplies List with links for ordering materials

Ready to make your own OK Kit? Let’s do it!

First, though, here’s an important question for you:

Who in your life knows you best?

You, right?

So part of managing your worry is paying attention to what your mind and body need in order to feel okay.

An OK Kit can help you remember all the good things in your life — and in you — so you can face each day with calm and courage. That way, when worries or challenging moments come your way, you’re better able to get through them.

For ideas on how to create a Remembrance Box for a lost loved one, pet, or friend who’s moved away, see step 9.

What do you keep inside your kit? Anything that reminds you of your calm, strong, creative and courageous self! Here’s a little inspiration for you from Helen and Sunday…

STEP 1 OF 14

Ready to get started? Great! First, let’s make your container as unique as you are. Depending on what materials you have, you can:

1. Make a collage on your container using photos, or pictures and words cut from a magazine.

2. Cover your container in decorating tapes, stickers, colorful papers, or even fabric.

3. Paint your container.

4. Come up with your own idea!

STEP 2 OF 14

Next, on a piece of paper or in your journal, make a list of the things in your life that bring you strength, calm, or joy. Here are some ideas…

People:

Places:

Activities:

Animals:

Objects/belongings:

Sounds (in addition to music, think about sounds of nature, like ocean waves, chirping birds, humming):

Scents (Do you like the smell of oranges? Baking cookies? The ocean? Fresh cut grass? Puppy breath?):

Favorite memories:

Anything else you want to add to your list!

STEP 3 OF 14

Now that you have some notes written down, it’s time to create a “Remember” poem using the ideas from your list. For this, you will need a strip of paper that can be folded or rolled to fit inside your tin.

To write a “Remember” poem, just add the word “remember” to the beginning of each item from your list. Like this:

Remember birds
Remember racing my sisters down the sand dunes and leaping into the water
Remember the smell of oranges
Remember summer camp
Remember rainbow snowcones
Remember biking to the pet store with Jaylah and holding the baby guinea pigs and Jaylah squealing and almost dropping one!
Remember grandma’s house
…

Or if you’d rather, you can write your own kind of poem… or song… or even a story inspired by something on your list.

STEP 4 OF 14

When you are finished, fold or roll up your piece of paper, tie it with a string, and tuck it inside your OK Kit.

If you think of more ideas later, you can add little notes to your tin or make another list!

STEP 5 OF 14

What are some other things you can you keep inside your tin? Spend a little time coming up with ideas.

If you get stuck, here some ideas our Youth Council came up with….

STEP 6 OF 14

You can also make mini “kit-sized” versions of many of the projects on this website. For ideas, visit our OK Kit page.

STEP 7 OF 14

Keep adding to your OK Kit as you think of new ideas, and every morning, take a minute to look inside and remember: This is your day. You are strong, you are loved, and you have the power to take on whatever comes your way!

STEP 8 OF 14

You can also use your OK Kit materials to create a Remembrance Box for a lost loved one, pet, or friend who’s moved away.

We recommend starting with a list of everything that comes to mind when you think of your special person or pet. This will give you ideas for how to decorate the outside of your tin.

Here are some ideas for your list:

Physical features of your special person or pet

Activities they enjoyed doing

Activities you enjoyed doing together

Shared memories, stories, adventures

Their favorite things — people, places, foods, etc.

Their favorite music

Special possessions that were important to them

STEP 9 OF 14

Now that you have your list, you can turn it into a Remember Poem. For this, you will need a strip of paper that can be folded or rolled to fit inside your tin.

To write a “Remember” poem, just add the word “I remember” to the beginning of each item on your list. Like this:

I remember your green eyes
I remember how you loved to walk in the woods
I remember how you would sometimes snort when you laughed!
I remember going to the pet store together to look at the fish
I remember making cake together and eating so much frosting we both got stomach aches!
I remember seeing the baby goats at the fair and how you wanted to take one home
I remember movie nights and popcorn fights
I remember your warm hugs

STEP 10 OF 14

When you’re finished, look over your poem for ideas of things to add to your Remembrance Box. For example, if you wrote about taking walks in the woods, you could add a leaf or small pinecone to your box. If you wrote about baking a cake, you could make a drawing of a cake to keep inside your box.

And, of course, it’s also a great idea to add photos of your special person or pet.

When you are finished, fold or roll up your piece of paper, tie it with a string, and tuck it inside your Remembrance Box.

STEP 11 OF 14

Now you can use some of the beautiful ideas you came up with to decorate your tin. Feel free to use any materials you like — photos, pictures cut from magazines, paint pens, or even fabric.

Whenever you want to spend time thinking about your special person or pet, just open your tin for reminders of all the ways you loved them.

STEP 12 OF 14

Would you like to try a short breathing exercise that can be helpful when you’re feeling worried, stressed, or sad?

First, pick two lines from your “remember” list. Practice saying them to yourself.

Now get into a comfortable position and begin taking slow, deep breaths in through your nose and out your mouth. Each time you breathe in, you are going to think of your first “remember” line, and each time you breathe out, you are going to think of your second line. For example…

Slowly breathing in through your nose: Remember the smell of the ocean.
Slowly breathing out through your mouth: Remember I am bigger than my worries.

Keep repeating your lines to yourself as you take slow breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth.

If you want, you can set a timer for a minute or two, or you can just keep breathing until you feel good and relaxed.

STEP 13 OF 14

How did that feel?

If it felt nice, try it again tomorrow… and the next day…

Many people find that doing some kind of relaxation exercise every day helps them to feel more peaceful and better able to handle worry and other challenging feelings.

If you want to try other relaxation exercises like this one, we’ve listed a few on our Resources page.

STEP 14 OF 14

Want to add your OK Kit to our gallery? Was that a yes? Oh good, we’d love to see it!

Share your creation!

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