Keep this self-harm coping poster somewhere easy to reach, such as a bedroom wall, school pastoral office, counselling room or personal safety-plan folder, for moments when urges feel hard to manage. It offers immediate, practical steps for teenagers, young people and adults who are trying to get through an urge to hurt themselves safely.
Designed to help someone ride out a self-harm urge without acting on it, this one-page crisis coping poster sets out clear actions that can be used in the next few minutes. Its focus is on creating space between the feeling and the action, while helping the person stay safer until the intensity changes.
Twelve short sections cover pausing for ten minutes, moving harmful items away, being around other people, grounding through the senses and slowing the breath. The grounding prompt uses a 5-4-3 sensory exercise, inviting the reader to notice things they can see, feel and hear, and to notice their feet supported by the floor.
Other self-harm alternatives include taking a shower, walking, cooking, cleaning, playing a game, watching something, working on a hobby, writing, drawing, scribbling, crying or talking aloud. The poster also encourages people to tell someone they are struggling, contact a trusted person or crisis service, and focus only on staying safe right now rather than solving everything at once.
It may be particularly useful for teens and teenagers who self-harm, adults managing urges to injure themselves, and practitioners supporting a young person with a safety plan. Parents, carers, school wellbeing staff, counsellors and therapists could print it for use in a calm-down space, care plan, one-to-one session or home support folder. The final prompt directs the reader to seek urgent emergency or crisis help if they cannot keep themselves safe.
