In a crisis? Call or text 988

Tools to Thrive

Self-care isn’t selfish or a luxury, it’s a necessity. It’s essential in supporting and strengthening our mental health and well-being.

This page offers tools and resources to help you care for your mental health and thrive.

Mental health is health.

We all have mental health, and it deserves the same attention and care as our physical health.

It affects how we:

  • Think
  • Feel
  • Cope with stress
  • Navigate change
  • Balance daily responsibilities
  • Connect with others
What messages about mental health did you grow up hearing?
Where do you think some of your beliefs or assumptions about mental health come from?
How do these experiences influence the way you care for your well-being today?

What Shapes Our Mental Health?

Our mental health is shaped by who we are and the lived experiences we have. Culture, identity, beliefs and the communities we belong to all play a role in how we understand mental health, talk about it, seek support and find healing in ways that feel safe and helpful.

Learn more: Culture & Identity

Mental Health Varies as Life Changes

Our mental health isn’t a fixed state. It can range from good to poor and change over time or even day to day, influenced by our life experiences and circumstances, both within and beyond our control.

Emotions

Emotions are part of being human. One of the most powerful things you can do for your emotional well-being is to learn to identify and name what you’re feeling. Recognizing an emotion helps you understand it and respond more thoughtfully.

The 8 Basic Emotions

We all experience these core emotions:

😊
Joy
🤔
Curiosity/Interest
😲
Surprise
🤢
Disgust
😔
Shame/Guilt
😨
Fear
😠
Anger
😢
Sadness

Understanding Emotions

  1. An event – Something happens that triggers an emotion.
  2. A thought – How you make sense of the event.
  3. Body changes – a physical reaction such as stomach discomfort, racing heart or a sense of calm.
  4. An urge to act – the emotion comes with an impulse to do something (run, laugh, yell)
  5. Expressions – Your face, voice or body shows how you feel.
  6. A behavior – How you choose to respond.

Remember: Emotions happen naturally, but how you respond is a choice.

Emotions don’t require an immediate action. One of the most important emotional skills is learning to:

  1. Notice the emotion.
  2. Name the emotion.
  3. Allow yourself to feel it.
  4. Choose how to respond.

The goal isn’t to ignore feelings. It’s to experience them without having to automatically act on them.

For many people, it can be life-changing to discover that emotions don’t have to control your behavior. You can name and feel the emotion without needing to do something about it. The space between feeling and action is where choice, self-control and emotional growth begin.

Caring for Our Mental Health Matters

Sleep. Connection. Movement. Food. Nature.

These are all essential well-being practices and tools that help support and improve our mental health. When we invest in caring for our mental health, we build the capacity to manage stress, navigate life changes and show up better for ourselves and others.

Ways to get started

There’s no perfect place to begin, just start where you are. With daily practice, small actions can become a natural part of everyday life that help you manage stress, adapt to change, build resilience and thrive.

“In-the-Moment” Support

Feeling overwhelmed, nervous or stressed?

When you need a moment to pause and reset, these mindfulness practices can help calm your mind, refocus and support your well-being.

Sleepless and desperate young caucasian man awake at night not able to sleep, feeling frustrated and worried looking at clock suffering from insomnia in stress and sleeping disorder concept.

Can’t sleep? Mind Racing?

Try this:
  1. Choose a song, poem or prayer you know well, like Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.
  2. Say each word 5 times before moving to the next.
    Example:
    • Twinkle, Twinkle, Twinkle, Twinkle, Twinkle
    • Little, Little, Little, Little, Little
  3. Continue with each word until you fall asleep.
Why this works: It floods the short-term memory with neutral information so you can’t worry at the same time.
Women practicing pranayama in yoga studio

Deep Breathing

Try this: Extended breathing calms the body and mind by making the exhales longer than inhales.

To begin:

  1. Breathe in through your nose for a count of 3
  2. Exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of 6
  3. Repeat 3-4 times

Why this works: Longer exhales help slow your breathing and heart rate and quiets racing thoughts.

Large Group of latino friends in salsa dancing class including a disabled person in a wheelchair outdoors in Mexico Latin America. Hispanic people moving to the rhythm together in social inclusion

Move your body

Feeling stressed? Can’t focus?

Try this: Move your body, even for a minute. Any movement helps.

  • Take a quick walk
  • Stretch
  • Dance
  • Walk the stairs
  • Shake out your hands, legs, or whole body

Why this works: Moving your body is one of the most effective ways to reduce stress and improve your mood, energy and focus.

MIO social posts-63

Ground Yourself

Feeling anxious, worried or stressed?

Try this: Start by sitting comfortably and taking a slow breath in and out. Then notice:

    • 5 things you can see
    • 4 things you can touch
    • 3 things you can hear
    • 2 things you can smell
    • 1 thing you can taste

Why this works: Focusing on your senses helps shift your attention away from stressful or racing thoughts and back to the present moment, which can calm your mind and help you relax.

Creative Expression

When you need to shift your focus away from negative emotions or a moment to relax.

Try this:

  • Color
  • Draw
  • Paint
  • Write
  • Read
  • Listen to music
  • Sing
  • Dance
  • Play an instrument or a game

Why this works: Doing something creative can help calm your mind, improve your mood, and help you express your thoughts and feelings in a positive way.

Practice Gratitude

Gratitude doesn’t erase stress, but it helps us notice the good that exists alongside it.

Try this: Pause, reflect and ask yourself:

What am I grateful for today?

Why this works: Gratitude helps the brain shift attention toward the positive, offering a sense of hope and making it easier to navigate challenging moments.

Let’s Start the Conversation. Learn What to Say.

Learn what to say:

To Adults

What to Say Tip Card

Tip card on what to say to Make It OK.

To Teens

What to Say to Teens Tip Card

Talking tips from teens to adults to Make It OK.

Need More Support?

Self-care and mindfulness tools can help support well-being, but sometimes additional care for our mental health is needed. If you or someone you know needs extra support, visit Crisis and Support Resources.

Resources to explore well-being

In the Open Podcast by Mental Health America. Open conversations about mental health and changing the way our communities talk about mental health

Hope Starts with Us– by NAMI. Important mental health topics, one conversation at a time

Happier Together- Podcast: Important mental health conversations within the Hmong community

“What’s the Point” Podcast – The Face It FoundationReal men, sharing real stories of struggles with mental health and life challenges

La Raza

La Raza | KMNV | 94.7FM & 1400 AM – YouTube by Little Moments Count – Minnesota: Information on early child brain development and parent resources, including mental health and well-being

Off the Chart Podcast – Featured Episodes:

Need Help Now?
Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org

Help is available 24/7.
If you or someone you care about is in crisis, please seek help immediately.

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Tools to Thrive pocket guide

A handy guide with simple tools to help you pause, reset and support your well-being when you need it most.