Thinking about things

It can be really stressful to feel as though you are constantly having to react to new situations or events, without a chance to process how you really feel about them. It sounds simple, but taking some time to think can help you to feel more in control again. Lots of people find that it helps to find a quiet spot where you won’t be disturbed. Others find that listening to classical or ambient music can help focus their thoughts, too. You could try asking yourself the following questions:

How do I feel about myself? Why might I feel that way?

What sorts of things have I been coping with recently? How have I been spending my time?

Is there something I might need that I’m not getting enough of? Is there someone or something that could help me with that?

You can find relaxing music for stress relief on YouTube and if you feel you would like to talk to someone you can find instant support on our Urgent Help page or free local support on our Youth Wellbeing Directory.

There isn’t much academic research in the area of self-care for young people who are living with mental health issues. We are trying to find out more about what works for different people so we can better advise other young people what to try.

If you’ve tried this activity when you were struggling in relation to your mental health, please let us know if it helped you and how by clicking on the ‘Did this activity help you’ button.