5 things you can do right now
- Write some notes about what you talked about
- Record how you’re feeling in the mood journal
- Post on the message boards about how you’re feeling
- Play a game to distract yourself
- Let out your feelings with the Art box.
Chat Completed
Talking to a Childline counsellor can take a lot of courage. No matter how you’re feeling now, there are things you can do to support yourself.
Contacting Childline
Speaking to Childline can feel like a relief and can help you to think about what to do next. Sometimes it can also leave you feeling confused or upset. And you might still want support.
No matter how you’re feeling there are still things you can do to help you feel better.
What to do next
Even when you’ve spoken to us it can take time for things to change. It can help to take a break to think about the things you’ve spoken about or to distract yourself, but we’re here again any time you need us.
Share your views
Whenever you phone Childline, you'll hear a recorded message that tells you how we work and asks if you want to talk. We want your help to improve this.
Visit the page below to listen to the message and share what you think about it.
Remember a time you felt calm
When you feel stressed, anxious or upset it can be difficult to remember that your feelings can change. It can help to remind yourself of a time you felt calm:
- Think of a time when you’ve felt calm before. It could be anything, like when you were on your own, in your room or when you were doing your favourite thing
- Take slow, deep breaths - in through your nose and out through your mouth. Focus on how good it felt to be calm
- Close your eyes and remember what was happening when you felt calm. Focus on things like whether it was hot or cold, how things smelt and what you could see or hear
- Whenever you’re feeling stressed, take a few minutes to try and remember this place.
just
BREATHE…
Can I speak to Childline again?
It can help to take a break after you’ve spoken about what’s happening. Even when you don’t have a solution yet taking a break can help you to think about new ways to cope. Remember that you can come back and speak to a counsellor again any time.
When you come back to Childline you’ll most likely speak to someone different. But you don’t have to explain everything again. Our counsellors make a few confidential notes about what you’ve said before, and they’ll check these when you come back.
Try our tips for coming back
- Think about what’s happened since you last spoke to us and if anything has changed
- Write down what you’d like to get from your chat with the counsellor. If you’re not sure, try writing down how you’d like to feel after talking to us and why
- Give yourself some time. Sometimes it can feel like you want to talk again straight away. But taking time to focus on other things can help you to feel better.
Staying safe
Safety means not being hurt or threatened. If you feel unsafe after speaking to Childline or something happens to make you feel unsafe, it’s important to get support. You can come back and talk to Childline, speak to an adult you trust or call 999 in an emergency.
Making a safety plan can be a great way to feel confident about what to do if you’re feeling unsafe. A safety plan should include:
- Places you can go to feel safe and how to get there
- Important numbers to call or people to contact, including Childline and the police
- Things you can do to keep yourself safe, like going to your room
- What you should take with you if you need to go somewhere, this could include a bus pass, some money or a coat.
