Building Your Personal Safety Plan

A safety plan is one of the most important tools for anyone who experiences urges to self-harm. Unlike a crisis plan (which is activated during an emergency), a safety plan is a pre-prepared, personalised document that you create when you are calm and thinking clearly, so that it is ready and available when you are in distress and your thinking capacity is reduced. The existence of a safety plan does not mean you are expected to need it — it is a precaution that provides confidence and structure during difficult moments.

Your safety plan should be built in six steps. First, identify your personal warning signs — the specific thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, or situations that signal the beginning of a crisis for you. These are your early warning system. Second, list your internal coping strategies — things you can do on your own that have helped in the past, such as breathing exercises, grounding techniques, walking, drawing, listening to music, or journaling. Third, identify people and places that provide healthy distraction — safe environments where you can go to change your surroundings and interrupt the crisis.

Fourth, list people you can contact for support — specific named individuals with their phone numbers, and a note about what you can say when you call (many people struggle to ask for help in the moment, so having a prepared script can be useful: "I am having a difficult time and I need to talk to someone"). Fifth, list professional resources: your therapist's phone number, your GP surgery, NHS 111 (when you need medical advice), Samaritans (116 123, available 24 hours), Crisis Text Line (text SHOUT to 85258), and your nearest A&E. Sixth, make your environment safer by identifying actions you can take to reduce access to means of harm during a crisis.

Keep your safety plan somewhere you can access it quickly — as a photo on your phone, a note in your wallet, or stuck to your fridge. Review it regularly with your therapist and update it as your circumstances change.