A safety plan is a personalized plan drawn up in advance to help you through difficult times. It’s a series of steps you can follow when you’re experiencing distress or thinking about suicide.
Each step contains resources or strategies to reduce the intensity of your suicidal thoughts and keep you safe.
When to create your safety plan
Complete your safety plan when you are feeling well. Having a calm state of mind will make it easier for you to identify the strategies and resources that can help you in difficult times.
Ideally, you should write your safety plan with the help of a healthcare professional you see regularly (e.g., your psychologist or social worker).
Even if a professional cannot accompany you in writing it, you can still create the safety plan on your own. You may find it helpful to create your plan with someone who knows you well (such as friend or family member).
What to put in your safety plan?
The safety plan contains 6 steps you need to fill out by writing your own resources or strategies. To do this, you can use the interactive safety plan or refer to the following section to know exactly what should be included in each step.
At this stage, notice signs that your distress is starting to take up more space. Recognizing these signs and triggers will allow you to act more quickly to prevent the onset of suicidal thoughts.
Signs vary from person to person and may include thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, or behaviors.
You can also take note of any situations that tend to trigger your suicidal thoughts. For example, a conflict, a break-up, a violent situation, etc.
Examples:
I think my situation can’t improve
I tell myself that other people would be better off without me
I keep thinking back to past trauma
I feel sad
I feel angry
I feel anxious
I have a stomach ache
I have a headache
My throat is tight
I isolate myself
I don’t sleep as well as usual, or I sleep more than usual
I use more alcohol or drugs
When I experience conflict
When I experience bullying
When I experience violence
When I'm going through a break-up
Write down the things you can do on your own to reduce your level of distress and regain control.
Examples:
Listening to music or a movie that makes me feel better
Physical activity (walking, running, cycling, going to the gym, taking my dog out)
Do breathing exercises
Pinch myself with a rubber band
Take a cold shower
Play video games
Relaxing bath
Writing in my diary
Watch animal videos
Read a book
Write a list of important things in my life
Reconnect with my inner artist (knitting, painting, singing, etc.)
Cook
Clean or tidy up
Hold ice cubes in my hands
Scream into a pillow
In addition to the 6 steps, you can also include your reasons to live, sources of hope, or helpful phrases you can think of when you’re going through a difficult moment in your safety plan.
To help you determine what these things should be, ask yourself:
Who is important to me (e.g., my children, a friend, my spouse, my pet, etc.)?
What are my plans or goals for the future (e.g., having a family, travelling, finishing school, achieving my career goals, etc.)?
What phrase or thought inspires me and gives me hope?
Write down the social activities, places, and people that are a distraction for you when you’re experiencing distress.
Examples:
Walk or go to the park with a friend
Go to a public place (library, cinema, etc.)
Go shopping with a friend or family member
Go to a friend's house
Call a family member
Have a coffee with a friend
Go to the gym or do a team sport
Go to a place of worship
Go to the grocery store to prepare a nice meal
Talk to someone in a support group
List the people with whom you feel comfortable sharing that you need help, those with whom you can talk about your suicidal thoughts, and those who can support and protect you.
Here are a few tips:
Determine how each of these people can help you. For example, they may be able to listen to you, take your mind off things, provide you with advice, accompany you, or offer you a helping hand.
Don’t forget to let the people on this list know you will call on them as needed.
Be sure to include more than one person on this list.
In this step, list the resources you can contact to talk about your suicidal thoughts and stay safe.
Once you’ve completed your safety plan on the My Tools platform, keep your login information. If you forget your password, you can easily create a new one.
You can also screenshot each step of your safety plan to be able to check it even when you don’t have access to the internet.
It is a good idea to send a copy of your safety plan by email to the people who are part of it (family members, friends, professionnals, etc.). The more involved the members of your support network are, the more effective your safety plan will be.
Your safety plan consists of six separate steps. When you are having a difficult time or suicidal thoughts, it’s important to follow these steps. If one step doesn’t work, move on to the next, and so on until you feel better or safe. You can skip steps in the following situations :
Your suicidal thoughts are intense or overwhelming: sometimes, a crisis can happen without you being able to prepare for it. If you feel overwhelmed by suicidal thoughts or that they are too intense, you can skip the first steps and directly call a professional (step 5) to get help and ensure your safety.
If your life is at risk (e.g., you have attempted suicide or are about to take your life), call 911 right away or go to a hospital emergency room.
Your safety plan can be updated online to reflect changes that occur in your life or things you have learned about yourself over time.
As you face different situations, you will learn to recognize strategies that work for you. So it is perfectly normal that your safety plan evolves and improves over time.
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