Quick answer
Record early warning signs, helpful actions and people to contact before a hard day.
- Start with: Name signs that you are struggling
- Finish with: Keep the plan easy to reach
- Pause if: A plan is not emergency care
Primary sources for this guide: World Health Organization mental health guidance; Befrienders Worldwide support directory. Check the source that applies to your location and situation before acting.
Know when to escalate: If the situation involves immediate danger, suspected crime, serious health symptoms or a deadline with major legal or financial consequences, contact the appropriate local emergency service, official body or qualified professional.
A step-by-step plan
Name signs that you are struggling
List personal changes in sleep, thinking, behavior or routine that tell you extra support may be needed. Use your own recognizable language.
List stabilizing actions
Choose small actions that have helped you become safer or steadier, with options for low-energy days.
If several next steps are competing for attention, use the Priority Planner.
Choose trusted contacts and professional routes
Ask trusted people before listing them and add professional or crisis routes appropriate to your location and needs.
When it is time to contact one of the people named in the plan, shape the request with How to Ask Someone for Help.
Keep the plan easy to reach
Store the plan where you can use it under stress and review it after changes. It does not replace emergency care.
Common mistakes and warning signs
Use these checks as reasons to slow down and verify the situation. One warning sign alone does not settle every case.
- A plan is not emergency care
- Ask contacts before naming them
- Review it when circumstances change
Progress checkpoints
| Checkpoint | What you should have |
|---|---|
| Before acting | Name signs that you are struggling |
| Before finishing | Keep the plan easy to reach |
| Reason to pause | A plan is not emergency care |
Final checklist
Checklist state stays in this browser tab and is not sent to Help.You.
Sources and further verification
Rules and official processes vary by country and can change. Use the responsible organization for your location and situation. These starting points may cover a different jurisdiction.
Help.You editors structured this page around the task sequence, reviewed it for avoidable risk and checked that its claims stay within general informational scope. Read our content process.