Keep Yourself Safe
- Ask for support from family and friends
- Connect with people you can trust and talk to
- Seek help from a mental health professional/organization such as the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA)
- Talk to your family doctor who may be able to refer you to appropriate services
- Have a safe place where you feel like no one can harm you and will not harm yourself
- Distract yourself with your favourite things
Develop a Support System
- Know who you can call & have their numbers available. Make a list
- Don’t be scared to ask someone to stay with you
- Know that you can always call the crisis line – Here 24/7 at (844) 437-3247
- Write a safety plan when you are feeling well. Share it with you circle of support and post it in a place where it is easily accessible for yourself
- Talk to someone that has ‘been there’
- Attend support groups for people with lived experience such as groups through Self Help & Peer Support at CMHA
Day to Day Tips
- Make sure you’re sleeping well, eating healthy, and getting exercise
- Try to relax with yoga, deep breathing, mediation, reading or music
- Stay involved or get involved with activities you enjoy
- Surround yourself with positive people and healthy relationships
- Avoid drugs, alcohol and caffeine
- Get involved with helping others
- Set small, manageable goals; focus on what you have accomplished
- Journal your experiences or create a video
- Use art as a way to express yourself and your feelings
- Learn about tools you can use to help yourself
For more resources and information, check out Youth Resources or Adult / All Ages Resources.
