Resources: [old]

Note: These are all resources I have personally used and found helpful. I am not sponsored by any of the following. Everything listed below if free to use. My goal is increase awareness of some amazing resources available online. I have included a section “For Our Supporters” as well. With love.
Hotlines:
- 998
  - Call or text for a suicide or crisis hotline
- 494949 – Remedy Live
  - My Personal Favorite [and Well Used] Text Service
  - Free service providing someone to talk to about any issue
  - Can text for an hour and a half every 24 hrs
- 707-873-7862
  - Call for kindergartner’s automated pep talks for anger, fear, and encouragement or to make you laugh
Websites:
- Free letters written to those who are considering suicide
  - https://reasonstostay.co.uk/
- An online guided AI assists you in reframing your thoughts
  - https://screening.mhanational.org/changing-thoughts-with-an-ai-assistant/
- “Leaves On A Stream – Mindfulness Exercise” – Great visualization for practicing observing thoughts versus dwelling on them
  - https://www.therapistaid.com/worksheets/leaves-on-a-stream-worksheet
- “The Art of Healing Trauma Blog”
  - https://www.new-synapse.com/aps/wordpress/
- “Free Printable “I Am” Affirmation Wall Art For Women” – She offers five free printable posters.
  - https://marketingartfully.com/free-printable-i-am-affirmation-wall-art-for-women/
- “Health Unlocked” – Online Anonymous Group Support Forum [It kinda feels like group therapy but with online writing back and forth instead of face to face] – I am attaching a few groups they offer. The name of the group is in each link’s text.
- “Mental Health Foundation” – lots of great downloadable resources from the UK
  - Free Downloadable Publications on a variety of mental health topics
    - https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/publications
  - Mental Health Awareness Week Resources
    - https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/our-work/public-engagement/mental-health-awareness-week/take-action
  - This page has a downloadable Mindfulness Guide that looks amazing!
    - https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/publications/how-look-after-your-mental-health-using-mindfulness
- “Better Health: Every Mind Matters” – This website [from the UK] offers a “Mind Plan” with access to additional resources based on your answers to a five question quiz.
  - https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-wellbeing-tips/your-mind-plan-quiz/
  - “Self-help CBT techniques”- Well written CBT resource with downloadable worksheets.
    - https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-wellbeing-tips/self-help-cbt-techniques/
- “Childline” – Mental health online interactive tools and games based out of London, UK. The website is designed for children, but is full of great well explained tools for all ages. My personal favorite is the “Balloon” game.
  - https://www.childline.org.uk/toolbox/calm-zone/
  - https://www.childline.org.uk/toolbox/games/balloon/
- “Campaign Against Living Miserably” – This is a UK based resources they call “CALM”. This website has lots of well written articles on a variety of mental health topics. Personal Favorites: “How to: Move even when you don’t want to” and “CALM’s Guide to coping with persistent suicidal thoughts”
Apps:
- “How We Feel” App – Free app for tracking and labeling emotions throughout the day. The emotion choice list is expansive, and each emotion has a definition with it to help you choose. It has a beautiful and intuitive app design. This is a personal favorite app.
  - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.howwefeel.moodmeter&pcampaignid=web_share
  - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/how-we-feel/id1562706384
- “Mind Apps” – Online Resource with tons of mental health apps. You can filter by cost and choose “Totally Free” or “Free to Download”. The website provides links directly to the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
  - https://mindapps.org/Home
- “CALMzone” App – Tons of mental health tools all in one place. It includes a “Panic Relief” section prepared for easy access during any forms of anxiety panic. Personal Favorite: “Relief from Guilt and Shame” activity.
  - https://www.thecalmzone.net/calmzone-app
Book Suggestions:
- “Introduction to Internal Family Systems” by Richard Schwartz PhD
- “Volume Control: a guidebook for highly sensitive people in a loud & spiky world” by Jen Butler
- “Atlas of the Heart” by Brené Brown
YouTube Videos:
- “Breathing Exercises To Stop A Panic Attack Now”
  - https://youtu.be/8vkYJf8DOsc?si=_k3gsOgWhm4Ps-Ht
- “3 Deep Breathing Exercises to Reduce Stress & Anxiety”
  - https://youtu.be/sJ04nsiz_M0?si=H4LB2DEV9q2PWwFV
- “Belly breathing exercise: Calming the body and mind”
  - https://youtu.be/7Ep5mKuRmAA?si=SCvEPGVJKfqNmnrY
- “Vagus Nerve Massage For Stress And Anxiety Relief”
  - https://youtu.be/LnV3Q2xIb1U?si=L4MeLHrUr9ePfuql
- “Guided Humming & Vocal Toning Meditation”
  - https://youtu.be/Dd8pZb6thzs?si=6BnQlEHcsIQpIJhU
- “How to do laundry when you’re depressed | KC Davis | TEDxMileHigh”
  - https://youtu.be/M1O_MjMRkPg?si=Qa7vWEfKMr6YMmS6
- “10 Tips for Showering while Struggling with Your Mental Health”
  - https://youtu.be/43AH2Toi4Ho?si=BUPSlLLOiufT1GUe
- “The Power of Vulnerability | Brené Brown | TED”
  - https://youtu.be/iCvmsMzlF7o?si=sHOyFJW67PaXJwTT
- “Listening to shame | Brené Brown | TED”
  - https://youtu.be/psN1DORYYV0?si=J8O_pl17qtQrwO0M
Podcasts:
- “Trauma Rewired” Podcast by Elisabeth Kristof & Jennifer Wallace
  - https://open.spotify.com/show/5sWEi4KQ8mVgXE29qiTQi1?si=6ffcd2e150cd4f84
- “Build a Brain” Podcast by Jeanne Zehr
  - https://open.spotify.com/show/285DszkQilfITWuSKRfnrZ?si=c9d8fd0c8d7f43b8
- “The Mel Robbins Podcast” by Mel Robbins
  - https://open.spotify.com/show/7vz4RYsD5MulTCrcH478t1?si=6806376d151a48e1
Live Animal Cams: [They can be so calming for anxiety or stress]
- Georgia Aquarium [Personal Favorite: “Jellies LIVE CAM”]
  - https://www.georgiaaquarium.org/webcam/
- Edinburgh Zoo [Personal Favorite: “Penguins”]
  - https://www.edinburghzoo.org.uk/animals/webcams
- San Diego Zoo [Personal Favorite: “Platypus Cam”]
  - https://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/live-cameras
Non-Doom and Gloom News Outlets: [I am not intending to promote any one political side. My hope is to provide some places to read positive news. The negative news gets more views on tv, so all this great “faith in humanity” stuff gets left out. Please do not use this as a suggestion to avoid being aware of local and global news.]
- “reasons to be cheerful”
  - https://reasonstobecheerful.world/
- “Human Progress”
  - https://humanprogress.org/
- “Smileworthy”
  - https://smileworthy.beehiiv.com/
- “GoodGoodGood”
  - https://www.goodgoodgood.co/
- “The Optimist Daily”
  - https://www.optimistdaily.com/
- “Good News” – YouTube channel
  - https://www.youtube.com/@Good__News
Brain Game Websites: These can be great for getting out of the emotional side of our brain and into the cognitive side.
- “krazydad”: This website as both online playable and printable games. Most games are styled in a form of a grid and close to sudoku, but don’t let that scare you. The games are much more diverse and user friendly than original sudoku. Personal Favorite: Star Battle
  - https://krazydad.com/
- “Puzzle Baron”: All sorts of online and printable puzzles. Personal Favorite: Logic Puzzles
  - https://www.puzzlebaron.com/
- Circle Moon: One of each of their puzzles is available daily. Personal Favorite: Blueberry
  - https://circle9puzzle.com/
For Our Supporters:
- “How to Ask Someone If They Are Thinking About Suicide” [As someone who has been suicidal, this approach would have been amazing to receive.]
  - https://jedfoundation.org/resource/how-to-ask-someone-if-theyre-thinking-about-suicide/
- “My Safety Plan” [When someone is hospitalized for mental health, the final step before being sent home is writing a Safety Plan, at least in my experience. Unfortunately this resource is not usually created until after it would have been most useful. This website offers an online step by step interactive guide to make safety plan or a printable blank version.]
  - https://www.mysafetyplan.org/
- “Why You Shouldn’t Be Afraid to Talk About Suicide”
  - https://www.thenationalcouncil.org/why-you-shouldnt-be-afraid-to-talk-about-suicide/