How do I make one?

Q: What exactly is in a support plan?

A: Whatever you like!

A support plan is all about what works for you. It can contain any information that you think might be useful to you or the people in your life when you’re not feeling great, and you can structure it in any way that makes sense to you. Here's some of the things I've chosen to include in my own support plan, and what support looks like for me:

What do I do with a support plan?

Okay, so you've brainstormed some ideas, come up with some strategies, and have written them all down. What now?

Personally, I keep my support plan close by so that I can use it anytime I need to without having to search my entire house trying to remember where it is. I have a Word document version of it that I keep saved on my laptop, and I have a few copies printed out in a binder in my desk.

For some people, a support plan is intensely personal, so they prefer not to share it with anyone and simply have it for their own reference. That's totally okay! You are your own biggest resource when it comes to looking after your wellbeing. For me, I decided to give a copy of my support plan to my parents, because they are a huge help when I’m struggling with my mental health. I also gave one to my sister because we live together and she sees me everyday, so she's a pretty good judge of when my warning signs are rearing their ugly heads.

When should I make a support plan?

There's no right or wrong time to make a support plan, but believe it or not, I made my support plan on a really normal day when I was feeling pretty tip top. Why?

A support plan kind of reminds me of a recipe. If you brainstorm the ingredients you’ll need and write down all the steps for baking a cake before you step into the kitchen, it’s likely that you’ll feel a lot more organised and ten times less stressed when it comes time to put your apron on. Alternatively, imagine if you tried to start writing out a cake recipe when you’re already halfway through mixing the eggs and the flour, and you think you might have forgotten a step but you can’t think straight because the butter is exploding in the microwave and the oven is smoking for some reason and all of a sudden the kitchen is on fire.

When I’m not feeling my best, the last thing I can manage is to think of everything I need to put into place to make me feel better. If I’m depressed, I’m convinced nothing will help, and if I’m anxious or obsessing, I probably can’t even focus for long enough to think of anything productive. By thinking about the things that work ahead of time, I have the freedom and headspace to think about things that have worked for me in the past and I can write them down to remind myself that I know exactly how to get through a tough time.  

What about you? Have you ever made a support plan?

What kind of things would you include in your support plan if you had one?

Love this @Portia_RO ❤️ Also thank you for being so open about your struggles with ocd on the forums- I also have ocd and it's cool to be able to see all the things you've acomplished because I think maybe I can accomplish stuff too (idk if that makes sense??).

Have I ever made a support plan? Yeah sooo many, I don't have an updated one at the moment, maybe I should make one 🤔 Once I made a little booklet that said 'DON'T PANIC' like from hitchhikers guide to the galaxy 🤣

What would I include in a support plan if I had one... Well for an updated one I might have to change who I can reach out to and what kinds of symptoms I'm noticing.

@Lost_Space_Explorer5 I love your "Don't Panic" booklet- I'm a big fan of hitchikers, it made me laugh think about that on the cover of a support plan! Let us know how you go with updating your support plan :💜 

I am very confused by where the dolphin gif comes in, perhaps because I haven't really read hitchhiker's guide, I've only seen film and TV adaptations 😂 @Janine-RO I want to read it, I don't have the best track record with finishing books though- actually it looks like it's a series. I think I read like the first chapter of the first book, once 😭