8 Mental Health First Aid Tips

Save yourself in times of distress

Janice Tovey
3 min readNov 17, 2023

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Photo by Tj Holowaychuk on Unsplash

Practice mental first aid on yourself with these 8 simple steps.

Return to a place of peace and serenity.

In times of distress.

Follow these 8 simple tips to ease your stress and anxiety to return to a place of calm and quiet.

8 Emotional First Aid Tips:

Stop those tapes in your head.

Refrain from playing them over and over. Don’t go down the rabbit’s hole when you are stressed. Avoid your habit of overthinking. Maintain focus on the present.

It all begins and ends in your mind. What you give power to has power over you, if you allow it. livewithmeaning

Breathe.

Practice box breathing. In for four, hold for four, out for four. Breathe from deep in the belly. Continue until you are feeling calm. This deliberate deep belly breathing calms your nervous system.

Deep breaths are like little love notes to your body. Pinterest

Listen to your gut.

What is your gut telling you in times of stress? Pay attention, and steer gut reactions in alternative directions. Be conscious of your thoughts. Transforming…

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Janice Tovey

My passion is writing. I also love reading, teaching, animals, nature, music, and humor. I am curious about everything and enjoy writing about all things.