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HOW-TO GUIDE: DEPRESSION CARE PACKAGE WISHLIST

If you have depression, you should have one of these. I’m serious. If you don’t already have one, log into Amazon and start one now. This post will help you build one.

What it is: An Amazon wishlist of self care items 

How to use it: Share it with people who care about you

That’s it! 

Example: Here is a self care wishlist I made last summer. You should see that it’s sorted by “priority.” I’m not really using those categories as intended—instead, I used them to sort the list into a few different themes.

 Category one: Hygiene and Making-Life-Simpler

This is stuff that helps make the day-to-day easier. What could make your life better?  Maybe it’s bag clips so your chips stop going stale. Maybe it’s a new garbage can so all of your junk mail can go straight in the trash without stressing you out. Here are some things that help me:

Dry shampoo: If you have depression and have never tried dry shampoo, I super recommend it. Ten seconds of effort for less greasy hair is a lifesaver. 

Febreze, Face wipes, deodorant: THEY WILL MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER.

Paper plates (these ones are cute and space themed, because I like space): Even when you’re too depressed to do the dishes, you still need to eat. I get a lot of anxiety about dirty dishes, so having paper plates around on bad days makes a world of difference in how willing I am to actually have a meal 

Laundry pods: I usually just use liquid detergent, but the perceived easiness of laundry pods (even though it is, like, thirty seconds of difference) makes me that much more likely to do laundry. 

Category two: Healthyish Food 

This is all about simple, nonperishable snacks. Stuff that takes zero effort or preparation. I try to keep a variety of zero-effort foods in the house. 

Don’t put things on the list that you don’t enjoy eating, even if you feel like you “should” add them.  (For example, granola bars are a staple for some people, but I don’t really like them. No granola bars on my list!)

Moon cheese: I’m not 100% sure how this is made, but I think it’s just freeze-dried cheese curds. It’s basically like eating weird, lumpy cheese crackers. I’m not making this sound very appetizing, but it’s actually super good and I love it.

Jerky: Be careful with this one, because jerky isn’t totally nonperishable. There’s actually a fair amount of moisture left in it, and mold is a possibility. But, it’s an easy protein to keep on hand.  I don’t eat a lot of meat, so I put some non-animal jerkies on my list. 

Dried fruit and veggies: I really like the texture of freeze-dried produce, so I have a lot of that on my list. But regular-dried is also good. Again, you just want something that you’ll enjoy eating, that isn’t complicated to put in your mouth.

Category three: Pampering 

This is your bubble baths, your scented candles, your beauty products.  I don’t go in much for bath and beauty stuff, generally. But I’ve found that if I treat it as a once-in-a-while special thing, I actually kind of enjoy it. 

Reusable hot packs: These ones are shaped like animals and very cute. If you are a person who gets menstrual cramps, I highly recommend them!

Bath bombs, bubble bath:  I’ve never tried bath bombs, but I guess they might be fun? A lot of people seem to like them.

Skincare and beauty supplies: Will treating your skin nicely make you feel better?  If it will, add these!  If it will not, do not add them! (I mostly just browse Korean beauty/skincare and pick the cutest ones.)

Socks and underwear: All of the ones on my list are space-related, which has the twofold purpose of 1. being space stuff, which I love, 2. making it way less weird to have underwear on a wish list. (YMMV! Don’t put anything on your list that makes you feel stressed!)

Category four: Treats 

Cookies and candies, tea and cocoa! I don’t eat a ton of candy, so most of the items in this section are only mildly sweet, but that’s just my taste. I basically just browse the gourmet food section of Amazon and add things that sound yummy. 

 (Anecdotally, people really like buying gifts from this section.) 

Category five: Toys 

Fun things that, on a good day, would make you happy! 

I’ve got some books that I’ve been wanting to read, some art supplies, some small things that just seem fun (a night light that looks like the moon, a pizza cutter shaped like the starship Enterprise, etc.)

Other ideas for this category: Accessories or tools for your hobby. Plushes from your favorite fandom. Maybe DVDs (are those still a thing)?

I also throw one or two expensive, pie-in-the-sky items in this section. I don’t expect anyone to buy these for me, but it’s fun to want things sometimes, you know? 

Tips for an effective list 

(aka things that make it easier for people to buy you stuff) 

Add items at a variety of price points. Make it easy for this to fit in someone’s budget, while also having options for folks who want to buy you a nicer gift.  Most items on my list are $10-$20, but there are a couple outliers.

Add items from a variety of categories. You don’t need to use all (or even any) of the categories I talked about here, but it’s a good idea to have a wide range of items. People have different gift-giving preferences!

Choose Prime-eligible items. This isn’t always possible, but it’s a good idea.

And finally: MAKING A WISHLIST IS NOT GREEDY OR SELFISH! 

Even if it doesn’t always feel that way, you have people in your life who care about you. They want to help you! Having a wishlist gives them an easy way to do that. 

Speaking as a person who sends care packages to people, having a wishlist to choose from is WONDERFUL. (I actually asked one of my friends to make a care package wishlist this week so I could buy something to cheer them up.) It guarantees that I’m giving them something they want or need, and as a gift-giver, that is what I want to do.

You’re not forcing anyone to buy you things.  You’re not being demanding. You’re admitting that you’re struggling, and you’re offering a way for loved ones to help you.

Tom Petty in Amsterdam, Holland, 1979.