A safety plan outlines what you can do when you have suicidal feelings. Safety plans can work really well. They save lives.

A safety plan is is a terrific tool to develop with a therapists or crisis counselor. For example, if you’re feeling suicidal, call or text 988 in the U.S. and Canada and the counselor might help you make one.

But you can also build one yourself. It’s pretty easy. And it’s unique to you. Who you are. How you feel. What you need.

Getting through a dark hour is a distraction game. How do you do it? If staying alive feels hard right now, here is one simple strategy that works well for me. It involves making a list of any activities that might engage you. Then you choose from that list.

Try it. It’s simple. Learn the technique. Then use it.

If you’re thinking about suicide, the first reason not to kill yourself is that your life is precious. So are you. Please don’t kill yourself.

Just get through this hour. And the next. And the next.

Yes: it seems like everything is getting worse. But hang in there. It will get better.

If you don’t kill yourself.

It seems cruel and harsh to say, “Don’t kill yourself because that’s murder.”

But please don’t murder yourself. Your death could cause heartbreaking damage, like any other murder.

Maybe more.

Please. Stay alive.

For a lot of trauma survivors who have ever grappled with suicide, we see death as a quick “fix.” A solution.

It isn’t. You’re simply passing the problem on.

If you die, we don’t know what happens to you. But we know the problem isn’t fixed.

Stay alive and fix the problem. Heal. Be whole.

In most countries, there’s a suicide and crisis hotline you can call if you want to die. In many countries you can even text instead of calling.

Such a simple thing to do. But that call or text can save a life.

Maybe yours.

Don’t kill yourself. Call or text a crisis hotline.

If you kill yourself, you’ll never have a chance at a truly happy life. One way to stay alive is to promise someone, or even God, that you won’t kill yourself.

Sure, when we want to kill ourselves, sometimes we can’t imagine anyone cares.

But they do. And you matter.

If you’re in pain, call or text a loved one, a friend, a therapist, a colleague or a hotline. Visit someone in person, if you can.

Give someone a chance to care about you.

Please don’t kill yourself.