Need Someone to Talk To?

If things feel overwhelming, you do not have to sit with it on your own. There are people you can talk to any time.

• 📞 Samaritans on 116 123
• 💬 SHOUT 85258

You do not have to be suicidal or at breaking point to contact them.

Things You Can Try Right Now

Don't try to sort everything out right now. Pick one thing below and concentrate on getting through the next few minutes safely.

• Ground yourself: put both feet on the floor and name five things you can see. Notice what you can physically feel around you.
• Slow your breathing: take a few gentle, steady breaths. If it feels comfortable, make your breath out slightly longer than your breath in.
• Get somewhere you feel safer: move somewhere you feel a little safer. If being alone is making things harder, go somewhere another person can be with you or nearby.

That's enough for now. If you want something else to try, there are more options below.

If you'd rather be around someone in person, you can also come and see us at our Community Crisis Café. No appointment or referral is needed. Our next session is at St Faith’s (Crosby), on Monday 9th November , 10–2.

These ideas are not a replacement for support. If you feel you may seriously harm yourself or cannot keep yourself safe, call 999 or go to A&E.

Give Yourself Some Time

If you're dealing with a strong urge or feel like you might do something you'll regret, buy yourself 5 minutes before you do anything. Don't make yourself solve the whole problem right now. Just delay it for 5 minutes.

If you get through those 5 minutes, see if you can give yourself another 5.

Five minutes can sound like a long time when you're struggling, so don't just sit watching the clock. Turn those five minutes into something small and ordinary.

Five minutes is roughly enough time to:

• Put the kettle on: a mug's worth of water usually takes around 2–3 minutes to boil. Make your drink and give it another couple of minutes to cool. That's about 5 minutes already.
• Listen to one song: put on a song that's around 5 minutes long. Africa by Toto is almost exactly 5 minutes. Your only job until it finishes is to listen to it.
• Walk around for a few minutes: walk upstairs and back down, around your home, into the garden or somewhere nearby that feels safe.
• Have a quick shower: concentrate on getting in, washing and getting back out. That's another few minutes gone.
• Do one tiny job: wash a few dishes, make the bed, put some clothes away or tidy one small area. It doesn't matter whether you finish it.
• Watch something short: find a funny video, a clip from something you like or anything else that can hold your attention for a few minutes.
• Message somebody: you don't need to explain everything. Send a message, wait for the reply and keep the conversation going for a few minutes.

Then check in with yourself. If you can manage another 5 minutes, do it again. Another song. Another cup of tea. Another little job. You don't need to think about the next hour yet.

If the urge is still there, keep buying yourself time. We've got a much bigger list of ideas for getting through the next 10, 20 or 30 minutes.

Help Your Mind and Body Settle

When everything feels a bit too much, sometimes it helps to bring things down a notch. You don't need to make the feeling disappear. Just see if you can help your mind or body feel a little more settled for the next few minutes.

You could try:

• Slow your breathing: take a few gentle, steady breaths and make your breath out a little longer than your breath in.
• Ground yourself: notice what you can see, hear and physically feel around you right now.
• Let some tension go: unclench your jaw, drop your shoulders and relax your hands.
• Change the temperature: wash your hands or face with cool water, hold something cool, or get warmer if you're cold.
• Picture somewhere calmer: close your eyes if that feels comfortable and imagine somewhere you feel safe or at ease.
• Move gently: stretch, walk around or move your body in whatever way feels comfortable for you.
• Get comfortable: grab a blanket, change into comfortable clothes or sit somewhere you physically feel safer.
• Use something familiar: put on music you know or do something simple with your hands.

We've got more simple breathing, grounding and relaxation ideas if you'd like to try something else.

When Your Thoughts Won't Slow Down

Give your brain one small job. You don't need to sort every thought out. Try bringing your attention back to what's happening now, or put the thoughts somewhere outside your head for a while.

• Put both feet on the floor and notice what you can physically feel.
• Say it out loud: “My thoughts are racing. I don't have to deal with all of them right now.”
• Pick one thing that actually needs your attention next. Let everything else wait.
• Write exactly what's going through your head without editing it.
• Make a quick list of everything that's worrying you.
• Write what you wish you could say to somebody.
• Split a page into “things I can do something about” and “things I can leave for now”.
• If you don't want to write, record a private voice note instead.

Don't worry about spelling, making sense or showing anybody. This is simply somewhere to put the thoughts for now.

Make the Next Hour Safer

If you're worried you might hurt yourself, make the next hour harder to act on. Put some distance between you and anything you're worried you might use, and get another person involved if you can.

• Move away from anything you're worried about using. Go into another room or somewhere else if you need to.
• Ask somebody to help: let someone you trust hold onto something for you or help make the space safer.
• Don't stay alone if that makes things harder: sit with somebody, call someone or go somewhere other people are around.
• Go somewhere you feel safer if you can.
• Say what you need: you can simply tell somebody, “I'm struggling and I need you to stay with me.”

If you feel you may seriously harm yourself or cannot keep yourself safe, call 999 or go to A&E.

Look After the Basics

Do a quick check of the basics. You don't need a self-care routine or a perfect day. Just see whether your body needs something simple right now.

• Drink something: have a glass of water or make a drink.
• Eat something: if you haven't eaten for a while, get something simple.
• Get comfortable: have a shower, change your clothes or get into something comfortable.
• Change the temperature: get warm if you're cold or cool down if you're too hot.
• Get some air: open a window, step outside or go for a short walk somewhere safe.
• Rest: if you're exhausted, find somewhere comfortable and give yourself permission to stop for a while.
• Check your usual medication: if prescribed medication is due, take it following your normal instructions.

Want to do a little more for yourself? We've got more simple self-care ideas.

Come and Spend Some Time With Us

Come and join us at the HRE4U Community Crisis Café. You don't need an appointment or a referral, and you don't have to know exactly what you want to say. You can talk, have a drink or simply spend some time around other people.

Come and join us. We're next at St Faith’s (Crosby) on Monday 9th November at 10–2.

If you can't wait until we're next there, you can always drop us a message.

Sometimes Coping Means Tackling What's Causing It

If something practical is pushing you towards crisis, let's look at that too. Coping tools can help you through the moment, but sometimes the thing that will help most is getting support with the problem itself.

If it's money, debt, food, energy, housing, work, family problems, legal issues, loneliness, health or something else, start there.

You don't need to work out which organisation you need before asking for help. Tell us what's happening and we can help you find the right place to start.

Some of the organisations currently working with us include Maria Fogg Family Law, Sefton @ Work, Raise, Age Concern Liverpool & Sefton, Liverpool Sunflowers and Light For Life Sefton .