Sections
1. What do people do to help themselves when they’re feeling suicidal?
3. Remember the good things in life
Some find it helpful to remind themselves about the good things in life
Some people with lived experience said that they try to remind themselves of good things in their lives, such as people they love, happy memories or things they’re looking forward to.
Suggestions from people with lived experience
Things that can help in the moment:
- “If I am seeking help in the spiral, facts can help. Look at the facts of life, for example, I have friends, they have told me they would miss me. I have had better days before, if I had acted then I would have missed on x y and z.”
- “I did some gratitude journaling, I have found this so helpful.”
Things you can do to help yourself in the future:
- “What has helped me has been a lifebox – photos of people who I want to stay alive for. And of happy memories that I've had. Also helpful are tools and techniques to ground me and ride the wave.”
One person with lived experience suggests creating a box of items that can help you and bring you comfort and calm. You could decorate a shoe box with images from travel brochures or magazines.
Fill the box with things that help you, this could include:
- Helpful quotes
- Instructions for breathing exercises
- Supportive notes from loved ones
- Reminders to yourself of things that help you like a list of apps or games you could play
- Helpline numbers
- Something tasty to eat like a chocolate bar or biscuits
- Essential oils or scented candles with scents you like
- Photographs of loved ones
- Pictures of views you like or places that you feel calm
- Distracting activities like a puzzle book or colouring book and pencils
- Something nice to look at or hold like a crystal, stone, or shell
- A notebook and pen to write down how you’re feeling.
It will pass. Things will improve, no matter how bleak life seems now, there will be brighter days ahead.
Member of Samaritans’ lived experience panel
Remember, these ideas and suggestions came from people with experience of suicidal thoughts. Everybody is different and what works for one person might not be right for someone else, but they’ve shared lots of different ideas and examples of things they find helpful when they’re having suicidal thoughts.