Dear Human 💕,

This week has been hard! You’ve had to face a lot of feelings that are hard to face. I see how exhausted you are. You’re barely keeping it together.

When intense feelings hit, it helps to have an emergency kit ready to help you calm down and take care of yourself. Many humans find it helpful to have a list of things to do that make them feel better in their kit.

Let’s face it. When you’re overwhelmed by feelings it’s hard to think about what might help in that moment. It’s much easier to pick from a list. Your list! So, let’s create one.

You might feel like there is nothing you enjoy these days. If that’s the case think about what you enjoyed in the past.

To make it easier for you, I created a very long list for you to pick from. Circle anything that might make you feel better.

When intense feelings hit again, pull out your list and pick something. Anything. It will keep your feelings from taking over.

Yours,
Cat 🐾

P.S. Your kit could also include pictures of your favorite humans, reminders that bring great memories back, a cozy blanket, scented candles, your favorite tea, a list of humans to call. Keep it all somewhere you can grab when you need it.

P.P.S. Save your list on your phone. Humans seem to always have their phone nearby.

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Activities to Calm Down When Overwhelmed

Move

• Shake out your hands and feet
• Go on a walk
• Go on a bike ride (and yes, cycling in virtual reality counts)
• Run or jog (I know, but this list is for other humans as well)
• Dance to one song
• Find a sunny spot and stretch
• Do yoga
• Go for a swim
• Clean or tidy up (the other human will appreciate that)
• Jump on a trampoline
• Do jumping jacks
• Lift weights
• Rock in a rocking chair
• Garden or do yard work
• Rearrange furniture
• Drive somewhere
• Chop wood
• Stack wood
• Play with the cat using a string or laser pointer
• Pop bubble wrap
• Knock something off a table (works for me)
• Chase something (a ball, a leaf, your ambitions)
• Do a somersault (when’s the last time you did one?)
• Skip instead of walking (you’ll feel ridiculous and that’s the point)
• Climb a tree
• Roll down a grassy hill
• Bat a crinkle ball around the floor with a cat
• Do the “slow blink” back at your cat
• Bounce a ball against the wall (if you’re not living in an apartment)
• Hula hoop
• Jump rope
• Spin in circles until you’re dizzy
• Do cartwheels in the grass
• Have a staring contest with a cat (you will lose)
• Walk backwards around your home
• Throw a frisbee

Touch & Temperature

• Hold ice cubes to your body
• Wrap yourself in a heated blanket
• Squeeze a stress toy like that squishy, pink cube
• Take a hot shower
• Take a cold shower
• Go to the sauna…and then take a cold shower afterwards. (Much better than just a cold shower)
• Cuddle with the cat
• Soak in a hot bath or hot tub
• Get a massage
• Warm up by a fire
• Put a warm cloth on your face
• Put a cold cloth on your neck
• Go barefoot on different surfaces
• Play with clay or putty
• Squish your face into the cat’s fur (at your own risk)
• Pet a dog or other animal (cat preferred)
• Get a hug from another human
• Feel the sun on your skin
• Let the cat knead on your lap (free massage!)
• Knit or crochet
• Cook or bake
• Wash dishes by hand
• Get a Korean body scrub (make sure to look that up before)
• Brush your hair slowly
• Let a cat headbutt your face
• Get a manicure or pedicure
• Bury your hands in a bowl of dried beans or rice
• Sit in a cardboard box (don’t knock it till you’ve tried it)
• Curl up in a tiny space that shouldn’t fit you but somehow does
• Touch something fuzzy
• Squeeze a stuffed animal
• Put your feet in cold grass
• Hold a warm mug with both hands
• Feel the vibration when the cat purrs on your chest
• Brush a cat (therapeutic for both of you)
• Run your fingers through sand
• Squeeze a pillow as hard as you can (or punch it, it depends…it’s only a pillow)
• Hold a smooth stone
• Play with kinetic sand
• Feel velvet or silk fabric
• Stick your hands in snow

Listen

• Listen to music. Calming, upbeat, angry. Whatever fits your mood.
• Listen to nature sounds. Rain. Ocean waves. Wind. Thunderstorms.
• Listen to birds chirping
• Listen to a cat purring (very healing)
• Hum to yourself
• Sing loudly
• Whistle (other humans might be able to)
• Listen to a podcast
• Call another human
• Listen to an audiobook
• Listen to white noise
• Listen to wind chimes
• Listen to a ticking clock
• Listen to the can opener (kidding, that one’s for me)
• Play a musical instrument badly on purpose (you have no choice)
• Snap bubble wrap next to your ear
• Listen to comedy
• Listen to the cat’s little chirps when they see a bird
• Have a full conversation with the cat using only meows
• Listen to leaves crunching under your feet
• Listen to a crackling fire
• Play a musical instrument badly on purpose (you have no choice)
• Put on a movie soundtrack
• Enjoy the quiet

Look

• Watch the sunset or sunrise
• Watch the clouds
• Look at the stars
• Watch snow falling
• Watch rain on a window
• Look at photos
• Look at art
• Watch fish in a tank
• Watch animals
• Watch a movie
• Read a book
• Look at autumn leaves
• Look at a flower
• Browse through The Therapy Cat notes
• Watch a waterfall
• Stare out the window for no reason (very therapeutic)
• Window shop
• Look through old picture books
• Watch cute cat videos (obviously)
• Watch a candle flame
• Look through colored sunglasses
• Watch a squirrel (or watch the cat watch a squirrel)
• Make faces at yourself in the mirror
• Watch a lava lamp or glitter jar
• Watch birds (even better with a cat on your lap)
• Watch a cat sleep (they look so peaceful)
• Watch a cat groom themselves (so thorough)
• Look at the cat’s pupils change size
• Watch a cat’s tail twitch while they dream
• Watch ants carrying leaves
• Look at pictures of your cat (anyone with a cat, probably have hundreds)
• Watch some “oddly satisfying videos” (Yes, that’s a thing. Think: slime, soap cutting, pressure washing)
• Google “cats in boxes” and lose 20 minutes
• Look at baby animal pictures
• Watch time-lapse videos
• Look at fractals or optical illusions
• Watch people ice skating or dancing
• Look at pictures from a happy vacation

Smell

• Light a scented candle
• Use essential oils
• Smell flowers
• Smell coffee brewing
• Bake something and smell it
• Smell fresh herbs or spices
• Smell citrus fruits
• Smell freshly cut grass
• Use scented lotion
• Burn incense
• Smell herbal tea
• Smell mint leaves
• Smell linens dried outside
• Smell chopped wood
• Sniff the top of the cat’s head (it’s a thing, look it up)
• Smell an old book
• Smell crayons (instant childhood)
• Smell catnip and see why they’re so obsessed (don’t eat it though)
• Smell fresh laundry
• Smell vanilla extract
• Smell pine needles
• Smell the ocean or a lake
• Smell fresh bread

Taste

• Drink something warm (Tea, Coffee, Cocoa, Cider)
• Chew gum
• Eat something crunchy
• Suck on some extra sour candy
• Suck on ice
• Drink a thick milkshake through a straw
• Eat a lollipop
• Eat cheese (always a good choice)
• Drink something carbonated
• Eat chocolate
• Eat strong mints
• Eat spicy food
• Bite into a lemon
• Eat a popsicle
• Eat the cat’s treats to see what the fuss is about (just kidding… unless?)
• Lick something you probably shouldn’t (we’ve all been there)
• Eat tuna straight from the can (chef’s kiss)
• Put whipped cream directly in your mouth from the can
• Eat cereal dry out of the box like a gremlin
• Try a food you’ve never had before
• Eat something from your childhood
• Share a piece of plain chicken with the cat (they’ll love you forever)
• Eat breakfast for dinner
• Drink water from a fancy glass like it’s champagne
• Try a new flavor of ice cream
• Drink something through a silly straw

Create

• Draw or paint something — it doesn’t have to be good
• Create a playlist for your current mood
• Take photos of things that catch your eye
• Journal about how you’re feeling
• Write down your thoughts and then rip up the paper
• Write a poem about how you’re feeling
• Make a collage from old magazines
• Write a letter to your future self
• Doodle patterns without thinking
• Re-organize your socks and underwear drawer
• Write a note to your cat
• Color in a coloring book