Helpful Neurons
Next-Steps Plan
A Next-Steps Plan is a sheet of paper in your own handwriting. It holds your warning signs, what you do on your own, whom you call and which numbers you dial when a hard moment begins.
Fill it in on a calmer day, for example at the kitchen table. Then put it next to your phone, in a drawer or in your bag. What you write on paper stays with you.
Print this page with the print function of your browser, for example with Ctrl + P or Cmd + P. The menu and the pictures are left out on paper.
My Next-Steps Plan – Helpful Neurons
How do I notice that a hard moment is beginning?
(for example a certain thought, a tight feeling in the stomach, Sunday evenings, an argument)
What do I do on my own to become calmer?
(breathing slowly, music, a short walk, a warm drink, a shower)
To whom or where do I go to think about other things?
(a neighbor, a café, a club, a place of worship, an online group)
Whom do I call and ask for help?
(for example your sister, a colleague, a neighbor – name and phone number)
Name and phone Name and phone Name and phoneWhich services and professionals do I call?
(crisis lines, your doctor or therapist, the emergency number of your country)
- USA: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – 988
- United Kingdom and Ireland: Samaritans – 116 123
- Australia: Lifeline – 13 11 14
- New Zealand: 1737 Need to talk? – 1737
How do I make my surroundings safer today?
(ask a person you trust to help you with this today)
What is worth living for, for me?
(people who love me, a pet that trusts me, favorite places, friends, acquaintances, plans, small things, wishes)
What else can I do right now?
(one step for the next hour, for example taking a shower, texting someone, going outside for ten minutes)
My wish list
From now on, I can:
- listen closely to what my inner parts tell me,
- pay attention to my feelings,
- forgive myself – right now, and every minute.
Put this list in your kitchen or another private spot at home. Keep looking at it and add everything worth being thankful for.
How do I create my own turning point?
Often the turn bubbles up from a completely unexpected source.
- Acknowledging one’s own pain. Every pain is valid. Tell yourself: “This is very hard right now.” Feelings are allowed to be there without judgment.
- Practicing self-compassion. Speak to yourself as you would to a dear friend. Ask yourself: “What would I say to a friend right now?”
- Focusing on one possibility. Choose one small step for today: reaching out for help, taking a walk or starting a journal.
- Seeking connection. Tell a person you trust what you are thinking and feeling. Ask: “What do you see that I can’t see right now?”
- Reframing your challenges. Ask at every obstacle: “What is still possible?”
Look in all directions. There is still so much to discover.
What research says about Next-Steps Plans can be found on the science page.
Who helps me fill in my Next-Steps Plan?
Every person has the right, first and foremost, to be heard and seen – without any attempt to cheer them up or to offer a solution.
Answer with warmth and without pressure, and work with me constructively. On a calm day, I want to fill in a personal plan for hard moments on paper. First ask me a few short questions about what does me good and who is close to me. Then help me step by step to find my own answers for each section. Name sources and studies for your statements.
how to fill in a Next-Steps Plan
The buttons open services of other providers. Only the text of the prompt or the search goes there, and only with your click. Some services can ask you to sign in, and costs can apply. After signing in, it can be necessary to paste the text again. Answers from an AI can contain errors.
