My Mental Health Survival Kit: Tools for Navigating Crisis Moments

[Photo credit: Chris Abatzis]

When anxiety, panic, or deep sadness strikes, it can feel like your whole world collapses. Time distorts, the future feels impossible, and your thoughts spiral fast. In those moments, I return to one grounding truth: Just focus on the next minute.

You don’t need to fix everything right now. You just need to breathe, ground yourself, and take it one step at a time.

This is my personal first aid kit for mental health emergencies—strategies I use when my mind is in a tailspin:

• Focus on one minute at a time

• Use breathwork to calm your nervous system

• Try a guided meditation for anxiety relief

• Do one soothing thing in the next five minutes

• Seek comfort—without guilt

• Connect with a pet or calming video

• Use grounding techniques to stay present

Not every moment will feel good. That’s okay. You don’t have to feel good to keep going—you just have to take the next breath. And then the next. One minute at a time.