Sometimes, life’s problems can feel really overwhelming, painful and hard to manage. Things can feel like they are spiraling out of control, you might feel like you’re alone or that there’s nothing you can do to make yourself feel better. When things start to feel out of control, a safety plan is a useful tool to have close by to guide you through strategies that help you get through it and keep yourself safe. By having it there, a safety plan can help you feel more in control, even when everything feels out of control.
Your safety plan considers your mental health needs and lists all the strategies that work best for you. So, feel free to structure your safety plan however you like, and include all the things that you might find helpful in those moments when you’re not feeling that great. Some things to consider including in your safety plan are:
- Identifying your warning signs
- Making your environment safe
- Reminders of the reasons for living
- Family and friends you can reach out to
- Professional support
- Crisis support lines
Here are some resources to help you get started on creating your own safety plan:
- We have an article on ‘How to Make a Safety Plan’ here, which takes you through a range of factors to consider and important questions to ask yourself when brainstorming what to include in your safety plan.
- Beyondblue has developed a step-by-step guide to creating a safety plan, and there’s even an option to download an app to help you with this.
- To see an example of what a safety plan looks like, scroll through this Weekly Well-being thread on how to make your own support plan, where Portia_RO has shared some of the things she has included in her own support plan.
Once you’ve brainstormed some things to include in your safety plan, it’s a good idea to hand-write or type it up, save a copy on your devices, or print out some copies to have in the places you feel they’d be most helpful.
It’s also a great idea to consider whether there is anyone you might like to share your safety plan with. Sharing the plan with a supportive person or people in your life might help them help you when you’re struggling. For some, safety plans are really personal, so if it’s something you’d prefer to keep for your own private use, that is okay too!
Now, we’d love to hear from you…
Have you made a safety plan?
What are some of the things you would like to include in your safety plan?
Who might you share your safety plan with?
Or if you have any questions, please feel free to comment them below 😊
