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Articles and Practices

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Self-care is vital right now and we want to support you! Join us, in partnership with the Positive Learning Collaborative every Monday at 3pm ET for a free 30 minute practice for caregivers and kids to explore together. You can check out prior week's videos below, which offer both family practices and classes meant just ... Read more "

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Self-care is vital right now and we want to support you! Join us, in partnership with the Positive Learning Collaborative every Monday at 3pm ET for a free 30 minute practice for caregivers and kids to explore together. You can check out prior week's videos below, which offer both family practices and classes meant just ...

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Information about therapy including what to expect and how it can help. 

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Information about therapy including what to expect and how it can help. 

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Information about therapy including what to expect and how it can help.

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What Is Therapy?

Therapy is a way to get help with a problem. If you go to therapy, you'll have meetings with a therapist to talk.

The therapist will ask questions and listen to you. This helps the therapist know what you need. Going to therapy helps people learn to cope better, communicate better, and do better.

Your parent or doctor might suggest you go to a therapist if you're dealing with a problem. Or it might be your idea - you might be the one to ask your parent or doctor to find a therapist to talk with.

What Problems Do Therapists Help With?

Therapists are trained to help people with all kinds of problems.

Therapists help people going through tough times like:

They help people with painful feelings like:

They help people with conditions like:

Why Do People Need Therapy?

People need therapy when they have problems they can't cope with alone. Therapy helps people talk about their feelings. It helps them work through problems and learn new skills. When they do this, they start to communicate better and do better.

People need therapy for different reasons. Some people need to ease depression or anxiety. Others need it to improve their attention, learning, and focus. Some people need help with anxiety, worry, or fear. Everyone deserves help to deal with problems.

How Does Therapy Work?

In therapy, people learn by talking and doing. A therapist will share activities and ideas to build the skills a person needs. People learn ways to solve their problems.

Therapy builds helpful thoughts and encourages healthy behaviors. Therapists help people feel encouraged as they learn. They help people see the good in themselves and find their strengths.

What Happens in Therapy?

At first, your therapist will talk with you, ask questions, and listen to learn more about you. This helps your therapist understand the problem. Together you will make goals for what you want help with.

In therapy sessions, you might:

Talk. Therapists have people talk about their feelings. Talking is a healthy way to express feelings. It helps people feel accepted, understood, and ready to learn.

Do activities. Therapists might teach lessons about emotions, coping skills, or facing fears. Activities and worksheets help make these lessons interesting.

Practice new skills. A therapist might teach skills like mindfulness andcalm breathing. You might learn ways to face fears or lower stress. Or how to speak up for yourself. In your therapy meetings, you might practice the skills you learn.

Solve problems. Your therapist will ask how problems affect you at home and at school. You will talk together about how to solve these problems.

How Long Do People Do Therapy?

How long therapy lasts depends on your goals. Most of the time, a therapist will want to meet with you once a week for a few months.

How Can You Help Yourself?

If you're going to a therapist, here are ways to build on the work you will do:

Be ready to grow. Have a positive attitude. Believe in yourself. Tell yourself, "I can" instead of "I can't."

Ask parents, teachers, and friends for support. Let them help and show they care.

Work on your strengths. Spend time doing the things you are good at. This helps you build confidence.

Take care of your body. Exercise and eat healthy foods. Get enough sleep. Take time to relax. Be with people who bring out your best.

Take care of your mind. Learn mindful breathing to help you be calm and focused. The more you do this, the more it helps.

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Therapy is a way to get help with a problem. If you go to therapy, you'll have meetings with a therapist to talk. The therapist will ask questions and listen to you. This helps the therapist know what you need. Going to therapy helps people learn to cope better, communicate better, and do better.

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List of group therapy in Montgomery County for children and teens.

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Mindful Moment: Mindfulness For Stress And Anxiety

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Mindful Moment: Mindfulness For Stress And Anxiety

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Mindful Movement to Relieve Tension and Release Anxiety

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Mindful Moment:  Mindfulness For Stress And Anxiety

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Things you can (and should) do to improve mood/positive emotions by Shira R. Levy, MA, CAS, NCSP, MAPP

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Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor

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Crisis Text Line | Text HOME To 741741 free, 24/7 Crisis Counseling

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Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7 support via text message. We're here for everything: anxiety, depression, suicide, school. Text HOME to 741741.

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The Feelings Wheel can help us put words to emotions and care for our mental health.

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Here are a few ways to be a good friend to someone with anxiety

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Check in regularly.

If your friend seems anxious when you're together, check in, "Hey, are you feeling anxious right now?" In asking, you let them know that with you there's always space for their anxiety, it doesn't need to be avoided, and they're not a burden. "Is there something we could do that would help?" Sometimes in the midst of panic, it may be hard for your friend to know what would help. If they aren't sure, you might offer to go somewhere quiet together or take a walk.

Be aware of your impact.

If you're going to be late, let them know. Or if you don't have time to reply to an email or text, give a quick explanation so your friend isn't left to worry.

Anxiety can be an inner-bully; it can convince people they are burdensome. Make a conscious effort to reassure your anxious friend. A simple "I love spending time with you" (and not just when they're calm) means a lot.

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9 Ways to Help a Friend with Anxiety - Calm Blog

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If you have a friend, partner or loved one who struggles with anxiety, it can be challenging to know what to say and how to show up. Here are a few ways to be a good friend to someone with anxiety: Listen deeply and compassionately.

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How to Start (and Continue!) a Conversation About Mental Health 

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How to Start (and Continue!) a Conversation About Mental Health 

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Tips to start talking about mental health

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Need a smile? Check out these baby pandas play.

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Baby Panda Camera - live panda video from China | Explore.org

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Watch baby pandas in China play on Explore.org's live panda cam. Learn amazing facts about Pandas and share your panda cam pictures with other panda fans.

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10 minute guided breathing video with ocean sounds

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4K - BEACH WAVES - 10 Minute Guided Breathing - Nature Sounds - The Quiet Mind

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MCPS Waymaking - Managing Stress and Anxiety for Students

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MCPS Waymaking - Managing Stress and Anxiety for Students

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12 minute video about the signs and causes of stress and anxiety that many students are currently experiencing and how students can better control and manage feelings of stress during these challenging times.

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MCPS Waymaking - Managing Stress and Anxiety for Students

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Designed to assist in identifying different strategies for managing emotions.

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Sometimes life can be overwhelming and it can be hard to work through difficult times. This Virtual Calming Room was designed to assist in identifying different strategies for managing emotions. We hope these tools will provide helpful outlets and practices for when life gets tough.
Disclaimer: The following resources are curated using information and links from a variety of local and national organizations. This information is purely for educational purposes and not meant to diagnose or treat any medical condition nor intended as psychological interventions or as a substitute for psychological treatment. If you are in need of psychological help you should seek the consultation of a licensed mental health professional.

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Virtual Calming Room - Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan ISD 196

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Virtual Calming Room - Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan ISD 196

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Various mindfulness videos

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Join Minding Your Mind's mindfulness instructor Kristin Page for mindfulness exercises designed to ease stress and manage your mental well-being.

You can follow Kristin directly on all her channels:
http://www.kristinpageyoga.com/
Instagram: @kristinpage_
Facebook: @kristinpageyoga

Click on the "+" box next to each day to open Kristin's mindfulness video!

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Mindfulness with Kristin Page - Minding Your Mind

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Join Minding Your Mind's mindfulness instructor Kristin Page for mindfulness exercises designed to ease stress and manage your mental well-being. You can follow Kristin directly on all her channels: http://www.kristinpageyoga.com/ Instagram: @kristinpage_ Facebook: @kristinpageyoga

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MCPS Mindful Moment: Flowing With Every Challenge

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MCPS Mindful Moment: Flowing With Every Challenge

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21 minute video with movement, breathing and mindfulness.

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Mindful Moment: Flowing With Every Challenge

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Information for parents about how to recognize signs and talk with children who may be contemplating suicide. Resources that are available for seeking help for their children are also discussed (15 minute video)

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Free mindfulness application to practice daily meditation and mindfulness.

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Practice your daily meditation and mindfulness exercises from any device.

Smiling Mind is a unique tool developed by psychologists and educators to help bring balance to your life.

We suggest 10 minutes a day.

What are you waiting for?

DOWNLOAD THE APP NOW AND SEE FOR YOURSELF!

Our App

A daily mindfulness and meditation guide at your fingertips

#1 Apple Health & Wellbeing App 2018 - Australia

Downloaded over 8.3M times

100% evidence based

FREE Programs for children and adults

We suggest 10 minutes a day

What are you waiting for?

DOWNLOAD THE APP NOW AND SEE FOR YOURSELF!

TRY SAYING:

"Hey Google, talk to Smiling Mind"

"Hey Google, do a sleep meditation with Smiling Mind"

"Hey Google, use Smiling Mind to do a relax meditation"

"Hey Google, help me focus with Smiling Mind"

Indigenous Languages Program

We worked with NPY Women's Council to develop a mindfulness program aimed at providing accessible and engaging mental health tools for Aboriginal people of the NPY region. These meditations have been scripted and recorded by senior Anangu women in Pitjantjatjara and Ngaanyatjarra. Thanks to nib foundation for funding this work.

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Smiling Mind is a unique tool developed by psychologists and educators to help bring balance to your life. We suggest 10 minutes a day. What are you waiting for?

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MCPS Mindful Moment: Calming Corner - Just Say OK

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MCPS Mindful Moment: Calming Corner - Just Say OK

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12 minute video with movement, breathing, and mindfulness.

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Mindful Moment: Calming Corner - Just Say OK

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Free guided meditations application.

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Insight Timer - #1 Free Meditation App for Sleep, Relax & More

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The best meditation app with the world’s largest FREE library of more than 190k guided meditations, 17k teachers & the world’s most loved meditation Timer.

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MCPS Mindful Moment: Calming Breathing Exercises

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MCPS Mindful Moment: Calming Breathing Exercises

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10 minute introduction and practice of breathing to find calm.

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Mindful Moment: Calming Breathing Exercises

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Guided meditation by Dr. Robert E. Dinenberg layered with ocean waves.

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Mindfulness Guided Meditation - 5 Minutes

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Healthy Coping Skills for Uncomfortable Emotions

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Healthy Coping Skills for Uncomfortable Emotions

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Lists of healthy emotion-focused coping skills.

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Whether you've been dumped by your date or you've had a rough day at the office, having healthy coping skills can be key to getting through tough times. Coping skills help you tolerate, minimize, and deal with stressful situations in life.

Coping skills are the tactics that people use to deal with stressful situations. Managing your stress well can help you feel better physically and psychologically and impact your ability to perform your best.

But not all coping skills are created equal. Sometimes, it's tempting to engage in strategies that will give quick relief but might create bigger problems for you down the road. It's important to establish healthy coping skills that will help you reduce your emotional distress or rid yourself of the stressful situations you face. Examples of healthy coping skills include:

Establishing and maintaining boundaries

Practicing relaxation strategies such as deep breathing, meditation, and mindfulness

Getting regular physical activity

Making to-do lists and setting goals

This article explores coping skills that can help you manage stress and challenges. Learn more about how different strategies, including problem-focused and emotion-focused skills, can be most helpful.

Problem-Based vs. Emotion-Based

The five main types of coping skills are: problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping, religious coping, meaning-making, and social support.

Two of the main types of coping skills are problem-based coping and emotion-based coping. Understanding how they differ can help you determine the best coping strategy for you.

Problem-based coping is helpful when you need to change your situation, perhaps by removing a stressful thing from your life. For example, if you're in an unhealthy relationship, your anxiety and sadness might be best resolved by ending the relationship (as opposed to soothing your emotions).

Emotion-based coping is helpful when you need to take care of your feelings when you either don't want to change your situation or when circumstances are out of your control. For example, if you are grieving the loss of a loved one, it'd be important to take care of your feelings in a healthy way (since you can't change the circumstance).

There isn't always one best way to proceed. Instead, it's up to you to decide which type of coping skill is likely to work best for you in your particular circumstance. The following are examples of stressful situations and how each approach could be used.

Reading Your Performance Review

You open your email to find your annual performance review. The review states that you are below average in several areas and you're surprised by this because you thought you were performing well. You feel anxious and frustrated.

Problem-focused coping: You go to the boss and talk about what you can do to improve your performance. You develop a clear plan that will help you do better and you start to feel more confident about your ability to succeed.

Emotion-focused coping:You spend your lunch break reading a book to distract yourself from catastrophic predictions that you're going to be fired. After work, you exercise and clean the house as a way to help you feel better so you can think about the situation more clearly.

Getting a Teenager to Clean

You have told your teenager he needs to clean his bedroom. But it's been a week and clothes and trash seem to be piling up. Before heading out the door in the morning, you told him he has to clean his room after school "or else." You arrive home from work to find him playing videos in his messy room.

Problem-focused coping: You sit your teenager down and tell him that he's going to be grounded until his room is clean. You take away his electronics and put him on restriction. In the meantime, you shut the door to his room so you don't have to look at the mess.

Emotion-focused coping: You decide to run some bathwater because a hot bath always helps you feel better. You know a bath will help you calm down so you don't yell at him or overreact.

Giving a Presentation

You've been invited to give a presentation in front of a large group. You were so flattered and surprised by the invitation that you agreed to do it. But as the event approaches, your anxiety skyrockets because you hate public speaking.

Problem-focused coping: You decide to hire a public speaking coach to help you learn how to write a good speech and how to deliver it confidently. You practice giving your speech in front of a few friends and family members so you will feel better prepared to step on stage.

Emotion-focused coping: You tell yourself that you can do this. You practice relaxation exercises whenever you start to panic. And you remind yourself that even if you're nervous, no one else is even likely to notice.

Recap

Problem-based coping skills focus on changing the situation, while emotional-based coping skills are centered on changing how you feel. Knowing which approach is right for a specific situation can help you deal with stress more effectively.

Healthy Emotion-Focused Coping Skills

Whether you're feeling lonely, nervous, sad, or angry, emotion-focused coping skills can help you deal with your feelings in a healthy way. Healthy coping strategies may soothe you, temporarily distract you, or help you tolerate your distress.

Sometimes it's helpful to face your emotions head-on. For example, feeling sad after the death of a loved one can help you honor your loss.

So while it would be important to use coping skills to help relieve some of your distress, coping strategies shouldn't be about constantly distracting you from reality.

Other times, coping skills may help you change your mood. If you've had a bad day at work, playing with your kids or watching a funny movie might cheer you up. Or, if you're angry about something someone said, a healthy coping strategy might help you calm down before you say something you might regret.

Other examples of healthy ways to cope with emotions include:

Care for yourself: Put on lotion that smells good, spend time in nature, take a bath, drink tea, or take care of your body in a way that makes you feel good such as painting your nails, doing your hair, putting on a face mask.

Engage in a hobby: Do something you enjoy such as coloring, drawing, or listening to music.

Exercise: Do yoga, go for a walk, take a hike, or engage in a recreational sport.

Focus on a task: Clean the house (or a closet, drawer, or area), cook a meal, garden, or read a book.

Practice mindfulness: List the things you feel grateful for, meditate, picture your "happy place," or look at pictures to remind you of the people, places, and things that bring joy.

Use relaxation strategies: Play with a pet, practice breathing exercises, squeeze a stress ball, use a relaxation app, enjoy some aromatherapy, try progressive muscle relaxation, or write in a journal.

Get Advice From The Verywell Mind Podcast

Hosted by therapist Amy Morin, LCSW, this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast shares how to face uncomfortable emotions, featuring comedian Paul Gilmartin.

Follow Now: Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts

Healthy Problem-Focused Coping Skills

There are many ways you might decide to tackle a problem head-on and eliminate the source of your stress. In some cases, that may mean changing your behavior or creating a plan that helps you know what action you're going to take.

In other situations, problem-focused coping may involve more drastic measures, like changing jobs or ending a relationship. Here are some examples of positive problem-focused coping skills:

Ask for support from a friend or a professional.

Create a to-do list.

Engage in problem-solving.

Establish healthy boundaries.

Walk away and leave a situation that is causing you stress.

Work on managing your time better.

Recap

Whether emotion-focused or problem-focused, healthy coping skills should help calm stress without avoiding the issue. The right coping skill often depends on the situation and your specific needs in the moment.

Unhealthy Coping Skills to Avoid

Just because a strategy helps you endure emotional pain, it doesn't mean it's healthy. Some coping skills could create bigger problems in your life. Here are some examples of unhealthy coping skills:

Drinking alcohol or using drugs: Substances may temporarily numb your pain, but they won't resolve your issues. Substances are likely to introduce new problems into your life. Alcohol, for example, is a depressant that can make you feel worse. Using substances to cope also puts you at risk for developing a substance use disorder and it may create health, legal, financial problems, and social problems.

Overeating: Food is a common coping strategy. But, trying to "stuff your feelings" with food can lead to an unhealthy relationship with food and health issues. Sometimes people go to the other extreme and restrict their eating (because it makes them feel more in control) and clearly, that can be just as unhealthy.

Sleeping too much: Whether you take a nap when you're stressed out or you sleep late to avoid facing the day, sleeping offers a temporary escape from your problems. However, when you wake up, the problem will still be there.

Venting to others: Talking about your problems so that you can gain support, develop a solution, or see a problem in a different way can be healthy. But studies show repeatedly venting to people about how bad your situation is or how terrible you feel is more likely to keep you stuck in a place of pain.

Overspending: While many people say they enjoy retail therapy as a way to feel better, shopping can become unhealthy. Owning too many possessions can add stress to your life. Also, spending more than you can afford will only backfire in the end and cause more stress.

Avoiding: Even "healthy" coping strategies can become unhealthy if you're using them to avoid the problem. For example, if you are stressed about your financial situation, you might be tempted to spend time with friends or watch TV because that's less anxiety-provoking than creating a budget. But if you never resolve your financial issues, your coping strategies are only masking the problem.

Recap

Unhealthy coping techniques-such as drinking or avoiding the problem-may offer some temporary relief, but they tend to make things worse in the long run. These unhealthy tactics can also lead to other problems that create more stress and make coping more difficult.

Proactive Coping Skills

Coping skills are usually discussed as a reactive strategy: When you feel bad, you do something to cope. But, research shows that proactive coping strategies can effectively manage the future obstacles you're likely to face.

For example, if you have worked hard to lose weight, proactive coping strategies could help you maintain your weight after your weight loss program has ended. You might plan for circumstances that might derail you-like the holiday season or dinner invitations from friends-to help you cope. You also might plan for how you will cope with emotions that previously caused you to snack, like boredom or loneliness.

Proactive coping can also help people deal with unexpected life changes, such as a major change in health. A 2014 study found that people who engaged with proactive coping were better able to deal with the changes they encountered after having a stroke.

Another study found that people who engaged in proactive coping were better equipped to manage their type 2 diabetes. Participants who planned ahead and set realistic goals enjoyed better psychological well-being.

So, if you are facing a stressful life event or you've undergone a major change, try planning ahead. Consider the skills you can use to cope with the challenges you're likely to face. When you have a toolbox ready to go, you'll know what to do. And that could help you to feel better equipped to face the challenges ahead.

Recap

Proactive coping has been found to be an effective way to help people deal with both predictable changes like a decline in income during retirement, as well as unpredictable life changes such as the onset of a chronic health condition.

Find What Works for You

The coping strategies that work for someone else might not work for you. Going for a walk might help your partner calm down. But you might find going for a walk when you're angry causes you to think more about why you're mad-and it fuels your angry feelings. So you might decide watching a funny video for a few minutes helps you relax.

You might find that certain coping strategies work best for specific issues or emotions. For example, engaging in a hobby may be an effective way to unwind after a long day at work. But, going for a walk in nature might be the best approach when you're feeling sad.

When it comes to coping skills, there's always room for improvement. So, assess what other tools and resources you can use and consider how you might continue to sharpen your skills in the future.

Recap

It's important to develop your own toolkit of coping skills that you'll find useful. You may need to experiment with a variety of coping strategies to help you discover which ones work best for you.

A Word From Verywell

Healthy coping skills can help protect you from distress and face problems before they become more serious. By understanding the two main types of coping skills, you can better select strategies that are suited to different types of stress.

If you are struggling to practice healthy coping skills or find yourself relying on unhealthy ones instead, talking to a mental health professional can be helpful. A therapist can work with you to develop new skills that will serve your mental well-being for years to come.

Get Help Now

We've tried, tested, and written unbiased reviews of the best online therapy programs including Talkspace, Betterhelp, and Regain. Find out which option is the best for you.

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Healthy Coping Skills for Uncomfortable Emotions

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Coping skills are the strategies you use to manage stress. Whether you're anxious or angry, having positive coping skills can help you feel better in a healthy way.

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Various online lessons and workshops

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In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, This Is My Brave's live storytelling events are postponed through June 30, 2020. We are happy to issue refunds for any tickets purchased; please email info@thisismybrave.org to request a refund. You may also choose to hold onto your ticket for attendance to the show once we have the clearance from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention) to hold large gatherings. Please make sure you are signed up for our e-newsletter to receive news on rescheduled shows; we will also reach out to all ticket holders personally. During this time we are working on digital and virtual event content. Please be sure to connect with us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest updates.

We appreciate your support.

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In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, This Is My Brave's live storytelling events are postponed through June 30, 2020. We are happy to issue refunds for any tickets purchased; please email info@thisismybrave.org to request a refund.

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A Guided Meditation with the Rocky Shore

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A Guided Meditation with the Rocky Shore

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14 minute guided meditation

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Morning MeditOcean — A Guided Meditation with the Rocky Shore

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Learn about self-care and develop a self-care plan.

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Welcome to the UB School of Social Work's Self-Care Starter Kit. The resources on these pages are appropriate for both students in training and for professionals already working in the field. There are additional resources that we trust will be helpful no matter where you are on your self-care journey.

The Self-Care Starter Kit℠ was initially developed for UB School of Social Work students, but it is our hope that these resources will be useful for students and professionals alike. Although the information does not address all that goes into developing the skills of self-care, it does begin the journey.
We recommend you start with Introduction to Self-Care, followed by Developing Your Self-Care Plan.
Using the Materials

You are welcome to use the Self-Care Starter Kit℠ exercises/worksheets without revising them for personal and/or educational (non-commercial) purposes only. We ask that you read over the Creative Commons licensing agreement, let us know that you will be using the materials, include the original citation information that is on them, as well the web address for our site, as an acknowledgement of where it was downloaded from and so people are able to explore our site if they're interested.

Butler, L. D., & McClain-Meeder, K. (2015). Self-Care Starter Kit. Located at http://www.socialwork.buffalo.edu/students/self-care/index.asp

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Acknowledgements

We hope the resources in these pages will be useful as you strive to maintain and enhance your well-being in all the important domains of your life.

We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to all those who have helped us in this effort: the colleagues who generously contributed materials and provided advice on resources, copyright issues, and IT questions; the experts in the field who gave permission to include their materials; the SSW students who provided self-care utilization data and feedback on our materials and original workshop; and our colleagues on the UBSSW Reaccreditation Committee and in the school who provided both informational and tangible support for the development of this program and have incorporated self-care materials and activities in their courses. We are especially grateful to Elaine S. Rinfrette, LCSW-R, PhD for her extensive and essential contributions to every aspect of the development of this program; Shirley Reiser, LCSW and Elaine K. Hammond, LMSW for their far-sighted and widespread efforts to highlight self-care in our school by developing trainings and materials, and through their invaluable contributions to the development of these pages; Dana M. Horne, MEd for designing the self-care (Venn) logo and providing consultation and support; Robert Garlan, PhD for his thoughtful suggestions and text revisions for these webpages; Melissa Dudley, MSW for her excellent research assistance; and David Coppola for his superb work designing and programming the original self-care site webpages.

Lisa D. Butler, PhD
Self-Care Program Team Leader and Associate Professor

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Professional self-care is an essential social work survival skill. Our Self-Care Starter Kit will help students and beginning social work professionals understand the basics of maintaining and enhancing health and well-being.

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MCPS Mindful Moment: Calming Corner - Get Up, Get Ready

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MCPS Mindful Moment: Calming Corner - Get Up, Get Ready

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12 minute practice of basic movements to move your body in ways to reduce stress.

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Mindful Moment:  Calming Corner - Get Up, Get Ready

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Self-help for anxiety management application.

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An app to help you manage anxiety, depression and loneliness. Join our wellbeing community

SAM is a non-profit, community-backed wellbeing app to help you monitor and manage your mental health, with self-help techniques to help with anxiety, depression, loneliness and coping. SAM is informed by clinical best practice and academic research.

SAM provides a range of self-help techniques organised into several main wellbeing themes, together with tools for recording and monitoring changes in your mood. The social cloud feature allows users to give and receive support from others.

SAM was developed by a team of researchers from the University of the West of England working with Bristol-based digital studio MyOxygen. The development was based on clinical evidence and followed a user-centred design process to successfully deliver a mobile app that helps you to:

Monitor your feelings and chart mood levels over time.

Discover guided self-help techniques including games and multimedia for challenging unhelpful thoughts.

Share advice and ratings with the SAM community through the Social Cloud.

SAM is currently unfunded and ad-free for all users.

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A mental health and wellbeing app for self management of anxiety, depression, loneliness and coping. Monitor your mood, practice coping methods and find peer support from the community of users

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Teachers have free access to over 100 activities ranging from guided mindfulness audio tracks, to videos on yoga and acupressure, and animated mindful games.

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A list of things you can do to feel better when you are feeling down/stressed.

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Ten minute guided mindfulness meditation to leave you feeling fully in the present moment.

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Become Fully Present & Calm with this Guided 10 Minute Mindfulness Meditation

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Take a moment to schedule ways to nurture yourself every week with these self-care ideas.

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If I've said it once, I've said it a million times! Self-care matters. If you are constantly giving your all to everyone else, you are going to eventually burn out. Please take a moment to schedule ways to nurture yourself every week. It will be one of the best things you can do to show up and show out for your students. I've created an infographic with a list of 50 self-care ideas for teachers and specialists to get into the self-care zone. You can print and post this poster in the lounge.

After posting, place these black and white zen pages in their mailboxes so that they can keep a checklist of their progress. If you are really motivated, you can turn it into a school-wide challenge. It's really easy to do and the benefits are enormous for the teachers and the students that they serve. This is the black and white version of 50 self-care ideas for teachers:

To create a challenge, simply give teachers a goal to check off the things they did over a set period of time. They can turn in their sheets to you or in a box in the lounge. Host drawings and a giveaway to promote participation. You can do a free jeans day/week, or give out samples of lotions and coupons from local spas. Just give them a call and see if they would like to donate. They are usually more than happy to partner with you, especially if they are near the school. Check out my post with 20 self-care quotes that you can also use for the challenge with more free downloads.

Grab a self care journal by clicking the image below.

Good luck! Let me know how it goes!

Need something easy to print and boost teacher morale?

You might also want to join my Facebook group called " Anxiety Tips and Tools to Educators " for more ideas to support educators and students with their anxiety in the classroom and beyond.

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If I've said it once, I've said it a million times! Self-care matters. If you are constantly giving your all to everyone else, you are going to eventually burn out. Please take a moment to

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Downloadable Materials on various parenting topics.

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Return to Find Support main page. Clicka aqui para recursos en espanol.

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Self-Help Resources for Mental Health Problems

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Self-Help Resources for Mental Health Problems

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Information sheets & worksheets on various topics including anxiety, appearance concerns, depression, panic, procrastination, self-esteem, sleep, worry, etc.

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If you experience a condition that is affecting your mental health and are looking for specific information about different types of problems then the 'workbooks' or sets of modules in this section may be relevant to you. Some of the modules can be used on their own, while others are best used as part of the series; each workbook will have its own suggestions. We strongly encourage you to talk to your local doctor or a mental health professional about your difficulties as the information provided in the resources are NOT a substitute for proper diagnosis or treatment by an appropriate health professional.

For many of the problems listed below, there are also brief information sheets, along with a series of worksheets that you may wish to use, or that your therapist may help you with.

Please refer to the disclaimer before making use of these resources.

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Self Help Resources for Mental Health Problems

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Self-help resources for common mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, sleep problems, and perfectionism. Includes workbooks made up of modules, brief information sheets, and worksheets that you may wish to use, or that your therapist may help you with. Materials developed by Clinical Psychologists at the Centre for Clinical Interventions in Perth, Western Australia.

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Mindful Schools Mindfulness Classes for Kids

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Mindful Schools Mindfulness Classes for Kids

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Free online mindfulness classes for students K-5.

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Mindful Schools has created ten free mindfulness classes for kids (as seen on CNN) . Join us online - for mindful activities, mindful movement, read-alouds - and let's have fun exploring mindfulness together.

Free Online: Mindfulness Class for Kids!

Sign up to receive classes and mindfulness resources in your inbox .

Mindful Schools has designed these online mindfulness classes with K-5 students in mind - AND please know that students and adults of all ages are welcome to participate. We are aware that many families are away from school and work, and we hope this is a resource that families can enjoy together.
Sign up above to receive the online classes and mindfulness resources in your inbox! What to Expect:

10 classes with fun and interactive activities for kids such as mindful eating, movement, and more

30 minutes of mindfulness and a restful break from the busyness of daily life

Experienced teachers from the Mindful Schools Training Team

About Mindful Schools

Mindful Schools is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and our everyday work is training educators to bring mindfulness to their K-12 classrooms - we've trained over 50,000 teachers, parents, and school leaders. We created these online kids classes as an immediate resource for families that may be away from school and work during these challenging times.

If you enjoy these classes, please share with friends and explore professional development programs for educators to start bringing mindfulness to your school community. If you'd like to support Mindful Schools and you have the capacity, consider a donation to Mindful Schools Thank you for your support.

Extra Credit!

Students, did you enjoy class today? Send us your notes, photos, and drawings to community@mindfulschools.org, or tag us online:

Educators and parents, tell us how we're doing. Your feedback is important to us so we can continue to create helpful resources for our community. Please email us at community@mindfulschools.org.

FAQs

What age group is this for? While we welcome all age groups including adults, we are designing these classes to be age appropriate for K-5 students. Friends, siblings, parents, and even grandparents are welcome to enjoy the class together!

Can I share this with my community? Yes absolutely - we hope these classes are a helpful resource for everyone in your school community.

How do I watch the classes? All classes are posted on this page, see below. Sign up to receive an email when we create new online resources.

What Is Mindfulness?

At Mindful Schools, we define mindfulness as being present in the moment here and now, paying attention to our thoughts, bodily sensations, and external environment with kindness, nonjudgment, and curiosity. Mindfulness can provide immediate tools to meet challenges with more openness, care, and compassion, as well as strategies that promote everyday self-care and well-being.

It has a variety of research-backed impacts, including reduction in stress, and improvements in emotional regulation, and focus. Learn how the benefits of mindfulness can be transformative in education.

Watch the Mindful Schools Kids Classes:
#1 to #10!

About Mindful Schools
Mindful Schools is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and our everyday work is training educators to bring mindfulness to their K-12 classrooms - we've trained over 50,000 teachers, parents, and school leaders. We created these online kids classes as an immediate resource for families that may be away from school and work during these challenging times.
If you enjoy these classes, please share with friends and explore our programs to find out how you can bring mindfulness to your school community. If you'd like to support Mindful Schools and you have the capacity, consider a donation to Mindful Schools. Thank you for your support.

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Free: Online Mindfulness Class for Kids!

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Mindful Schools has created ten free mindfulness classes for kids (as seen on CNN). Join us online - for mindful activities, mindful movement, read-alouds - and let's have fun exploring mindfulness together. Free Online: Mindfulness Class for Kids! Sign up to receive classes and mindfulness resources in your inbox.

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Weekly resources and activities to help support children’s mental health.

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School closures, teleworking, rising unemployment and an uncertain future have left families to cope with stay at home orders under heightened stress and anxiety. As we do our part to prevent the spread of COVID-19, families may encounter a situation where crisis services are needed to assist with a mental health issue, substance use disorder, abusive situation, or even support navigating digital safety issues.
This week we are highlighting several important safety topics that impact families each day, but even more during this pandemic, including: crisis services, mental health, suicide, substance use, abuse and digital safety.
Please save and share these valuable resources and stay safe.

Maryland's Crisis Hotline is available 24 hours days a week to provide support, guidance and assistance: Call 211, press 1

Emergency number: 9-1-1

National Suicide Prevention Hotlines: 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433) or 1-800-273-TALK (-8255)

Veterans Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255, press 1

Maryland Crisis Online Chat: http://www.help4mdyouth.org/chat/ (available Mon.- Fri., 4pm - 9pm)

National Domestic Violence Hotline: Call 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224 for TTY, or if you're unable to speak safely, you can log onto thehotline.org or text LOVEIS to 22522.

Crisis Services
Facts for Families: Crisis Services (Also available in Spanish) Facts for Families: When to Seek Help COVID-19 Victim Resources | Governor's Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services
Facts for Families: First Steps in Seeking Help (Also available in Spanish)

The Safe Schools Maryland Tip Line: Whether students are experiencing cyberbullying or are concerned about one or more students capable of self-harm or violence, The Safe Schools Maryland Tip Line is anonymous and accessible 24/7 by phone at 1-833-MD-B-SAFE (1-833-632-7233), online at safeschoolsmd.org, and by downloading the free app via the App Store or Google Play.
Facts for Families: Psychosis
Mental Health

Facts for Families: Self-Injurious Behavior (Also available in Spanish)

Maryland Coalition of Families: Provides online support groups for families caring for someone with mental health or substance use disorder, online meet-ups for young adults aged 18-26 who are struggling with their mental health, online Narcan and parenting trainings, as well as online book clubs, exercise groups, self-care workshops and cooking classes. See the list of online support groups here. See the list of events and trainings here.

OK2TALK: A community for support teens and young adults struggling with mental health problems by encouraging them to talk about what they're experiencing-sharing their personal stories of recovery, tragedy, struggle, and hope. Learn more.
Facts for Families: Suicide
Suicide

Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 24-hour, toll-free, confidential suicide prevention hotline available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Your call is routed to the nearest crisis center in the national network of more than 150 crisis centers. 1-800-273-TALK (8255) TTY: 1-800-799-4889 www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
Implications of COVID-19 for LGBTQ Youth Mental Health and Suicide Prevention | The Trevor Project Suicide Prevention During the Pandemic: Staying Safe While Social Distancing | UNC Trauma Talk
COVID-19 Resources - Crisis Response | The National Center for School Mental Health: Offers multiple resources on suicide under the Crisis Response category.

Substance Use
Alcohol, Drug, Mental Health Treatment & Programs Directory | SAMHSA Mental Illness and Substance Use in Young Adults | SAMHSA
Facts for Families: Substance Use (Also available in Spanish)

Abuse
Signs of Child Abuse | Baltimore Child Abuse Center Baltimore Child Abuse Center Virtual Training - May 2020 Reporting Child Abuse During COVID-19 | Child Abuse Network The Coronavirus Could Cause a Child Abuse Epidemic | The New York Times
National Domestic Violence Hotline: For any victims and survivors who need support, we are here for you, 24/7. Call 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224 for TTY, or if you're unable to speak safely, you can log onto thehotline.org or text LOVEIS to 22522.
"Think Before You Send" video | Baltimore Child Abuse Center Internet Safety Tips and Activities | NetSmartzKids Staying Safe Online: Teens | Baltimore Child Abuse Center Staying Safe Online: Caregivers | Baltimore Child Abuse Center Cyberbullying | Understood Media & Technology - Screentime during COVID-19, Cyberbullying + more | Child Mind Institute
Digital Safety

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Mental Health Mondays - Children's Mental Health Matters

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In an effort to support children during this unprecedented time of crisis, we are offering weekly resources and activities to help support children's mental health. Check back weekly, on Mondays for new resources! Be sure to visit our website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts or you can subscribe to receive emails directly to your inbox.

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20 minute kindness meditation