Your Safety Plan

Getting started

A Safety Plan helps you recognise your warning signs that a suicidal crisis is beginning or escalating, and the actions you can take to stay safe. This includes ideas such as who to talk to, how to make your environment safer, ways to distract yourself, and support services you can access.

Here is some guidance to help you get the most from your Safety Plan:

  1. Staying safe for now
    If you feel unable to complete your own Safety Plan right now, the Staying Safe for Now page provides some ideas to help you keep safe. You can always come back to complete your Safety Plan later.
  2. Asking someone to help you
    It can be helpful to work through the Safety Plan with someone you trust. This could be a family member, friend, or key worker.
  3. Making it your own
    While it can be helpful to develop your Safety Plan with someone you trust, it's important that you decide what goes in it, and what works for you. These ideas might change over time so regularly review your plan to keep it up-to-date.
  4. Sharing with others
    Once you complete your Safety Plan, you will have the option to download it as a PDF. It can be helpful to share this with relevant family, friends, or professionals who are helping to support you.

These are warning signs that I may be struggling:

  • What thoughts, feelings, or behaviours happen before you start to have thoughts of suicide?
  • Do you know what may trigger these feelings?

e.g., not wanting to see anyone; drinking more than usual; feeling stressed at work.

I will calm myself by trying:

  • What can you do to distract yourself?
  • What has worked for you in the past?

e.g., breathing exercises; listening to music; taking a walk; re-framing the situation

I will go to my safe place:

  • Where do you feel the most safe?
  • Where can you go to distract yourself from your thoughts of suicide?

e.g., home; Steve's house

If I am struggling, I can talk to:

  • Who would you feel able to talk to about how you're feeling?
  • Who has helped you in the past?
  • Try to think of 3 people to include so you have options.

e.g., friends; family; a neighbour

In a crisis, I will seek help from these professionals or organisations:

  • You can search and bookmark local and national support services in the Find Help Now section
  • If you are already receiving support from a professional or organisation, do you know how to contact them in a crisis?

e.g., key worker; Samaritans; a counsellor

My ideas for staying safe:

  • How can you make it harder to act on any plans you might have for suicide?
  • Where can you put things you could use to harm yourself so they are harder to get to if you feel overwhelmed?

e.g., reducing access to alcohol; asking a friend to look after medication

By completing this Safety Plan you've taken an important step towards safety

Remember to regularly review your plan to keep it up-to-date.

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My Safety Plan

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You’ll still be able to download a PDF version of your plan to keep with you or to send to others.

Please Note

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