The coronavirus pandemic has had a huge impact on many people’s physical health. But our emotional wellbeing and mental health have taken a massive hit too. According to research from a survey carried out by the mental health charity Mind, over a third of the people they questioned said that their mental health had got worse since March 2020. We need help.
Qappy is a new science-backed wellbeing box that is here to offer the help we need. Its aim is to help guide us through the processes of creating healthy new habits to nurture and enrich our wellbeing; to rebuild ourselves up if you like. And I for one am more than ready for this!
So, come with me as I unbox the Qappy wellbeing box:
What Is Qappy?
As I’ve mentioned, Qappy is essentially a wellness box packed with lots of fab products and activities to help with mindfulness. That’s it in basic terms. Cynics may argue that surely anyone can cobble some bits and bobs together and label it as a wellness box. But that’s where Qappy is different you see, because this box has been developed with the support from a leading psychologist, Dr. Alyson Smith (a consultant clinical psychologist who specialises in adult mental health and who also works as a yoga and mindfulness teacher). This gives the box huge credibility; it shows that what’s being sold to us is worth it, that it works. Each item contained within the box has been carefully curated to offer benefits to the recipient. Whether that be to cultivate a change in mindset, to encourage screen-free activities, or to introduce new practices that can be added to your wellness toolkit, it’s safe to say that each and every part of the Qappy box has been researched and scientifically backed.
How Will Qappy Help Me?
From a personal point of view, I know just how difficult it is to prioritise myself. It feels selfish. But when I push myself down the bottom of my to do list it often ends in burnout. I can feel it happening and thankfully I have learned to recognise the signs and usually act accordingly. But this doesn’t come naturally to me, I need guidance and directed actions or thoughts to help me. This is what Qappy offers. It takes on the role of authority, taking the responsibility out of your own hands, because let’s face it we’ve all got enough to be thinking about without planning self-care activities, right?
More than anything else, Qappy is about broadening your horizons by exposing you to a vast array of different wellness techniques to help bring happiness, joy, self-care, and focus. If you’re perhaps feeling not quite yourself, if you’ve been burning the candle at both ends, working long hours, ignoring yourself and your needs, suffering from the mental strain of the pandemic, or just generally like you need some help then Qappy is for you.
The more we do these wellbeing activities, such as the ones recommended in Qappy, we can begin to establish better, more positive habits. And it is these habits that allow us to become more aware of who we are as a person, thus switching us off of autopilot and on to a happier, more contented existence.
What’s In A Typical Qappy Box?
Each Qappy box has a different theme; some examples include Living Mindfully, Sleep and Rest, and Connecting with Nature. I received the Living Mindfully box, which included the following items:
- Zen Garden craft kit – A bag of sand, 7 stones, a mini rake, a garden base, a beautiful plant candle, instructions of how to construct the garden as well as recommended activities for you to use the garden as a means to promote mindfulness, feelings of calm, and to help you create that Zen feeling.
- Anchor Soap Carving kit – A bar of lavender and rosemary soap, a carving tool, anchor template, a beautiful wooden soap dish, and instructions.
- Snacks – 2 bags of treatsize snacks: 1 x dark chocolate and 1 dried mango.
- Tea – A cute box of 5 biodegradable pyramid Jasmine Dawn green tea bags.
- Art activity – A pack of colouring pencils, sheet of plain A4 paper, and instructions to carry out a mindful colouring activity.
- Happy Bingo – Bingo activity sheet where every square is a prize to yourself. An example could be: ‘Sit and observe a candle flicker for 5 min’ or ‘Savour a piece of chocolate as long as you possibly can’ (chocolate included).
- Wise Bites reflection cards – A pack of 10 cards to be read aloud with friends or family to help aid discussion. Each card lists 2 questions as an ice breaker conversation starter. Example: ‘What is a sound that always makes you smile?’ (My answer, in case you’re interested, is early morning birdsong.
- Online content – Including meditations, playlists, step-by-step videos, podcasts, articles.
I loved everything that came in the Qappy box, but I especially enjoyed creating the Zen garden with my 11 year old daughter, who has now claimed it as her own, and doing the mindful art activity – I’ve always loved anything arty, but often don’t allow myself the time. This gave me the permission I needed.
How Much Will A Qappy Box Cost Me?
There are 3 different levels of Qappy box that you can go for:
Value (£12) – This gets you full access to content (videos, podcasts, Spotify playlists, articles etc.), a couple of treats (snacks, tea, candle etc.), and 1 mini craft (usually something like colouring)
Classic (£29) – This option includes everything you get with the Value box, but with more treats, and the craft is upgraded to a full-size version (for example a make your own Zen garden)
Premium (£39) – Includes everything you get with the Classic box but in addition you get 3 full-sized crafts rather than 1.
These prices are all one off prices. However, if you decide that you’d like a regular wellness boost you can sign up to receive a box every 2 months at a discounted rate of £10, £26, or £35 for each respective box. Shipping is also free (always love it when shipping is included in the price) so there are no hidden charges when you get to the check out, and there are currently 12 different themed Qappy boxes available.
What Do We Think?
Honestly, I love it. I love the concept, I love the activities, I love the variety, I love the sentiment. It’s a gorgeous, well thought out box that would make a great gift both for someone you love, or mostly, a gift to yourself. Because, yes, gifting this to yourself is about you saying you are worth it. You are worth spending time on. You are worth taking care of.
I personally think it’s great for giving you some directional time out. By which I mean that all too often we can feel as if taking time out to do things for ourselves is an indulgence. I know I certainly do. I struggle to relax and to just be in the moment, because my head is constantly racing, planning what jobs need doing, what I need to make for tea that night, what emails I haven’t replied to yet. And the very thought of doing something for me seems way too self indulgent. By having Qappy here though, it sort of forced me to make the time, which is exactly what I need.
This box gives you permission to do things for you, in fact it positively encourages it. And by guiding us through the range of activities, it gives direction, and purpose, and a hall pass to do it, if you like. Which sounds crazy when you read it back, I mean as if we need permission to sit down and do some colouring, but I think we do. In this day and age we’re all seeking permission for something or other, aren’t we!?!
If you’d like to find out more about Qappy and whether you think it could help you on your wellness journey, head on over to their website for more details.
*product gifted for review
