So I recently moved out of my parents' house for the first time in my life and about a week ago, during the last night that I spent there, I was feeling extremely depressed and suicidal. I couldn't call a hotline becuase there was nowhere private to go and talk so I used an online crisis chat (http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org). It isn't as quick as calling a hotline since you usually have to wait in a queue to speak with someone, but if you can wait just a moment, it's worth it- the help I got was really great. The person I spoke with really understood what I was saying and why I was so upset. Not only that, but he left me with a great resource that I would love to share, which also led me to discover ANOTHER great resource…whichIwillalsoshare.

The first originates from a website called Calm (http://www.calm.com). It's an EXTREMELY soothing meditation tool that worked really well for me. You can pick which HD background you'd like (mountain lake, rainy forrest, sunset on the beach) that comes complete with a soothing track of nature sounds to match. Some of the backgrounds play soothing ambient music if you prefer that. Then, you can either guide yourself in meditation (or just enjoy the environment) or you can use the soothing, guided meditation tracks that come in intervals of 2, 5, 10, 15, and 20 minutes. I decided to try the guided meditation, thinking it was going to sound really goofy, but it actually really helped me to become more self aware. The site is even better if you put it in full-screen mode on your computer. This tool is also available as a smartphone and tablet app in the Apple Store and the Google Play Store. All you have to search is "Calm" and it's completely free.

The next tool is available only as an app in the Apple Store and Google Play Store( but you can get more information about it here:http://www.thinkpacifica.com) and it's called Pacifica. This app also features soothing backgrounds and guided meditation, but also has other features that allow you to track your mood throughout the day, your sleep patterns, and your eating habits. One of my favorite featutres of this app is the "Thoughts" exercise. If you have a moment of quiet and privacy, you just talk out loud for up to two minutes about what your thoughts are in that moment while it records. Then you play back the recording and while you're listening to it, you can either press the negative button when you hear a negative thought or the positive button whenever you hear a positive thought. Then you talk for up to two minutes about what you would say if it were someone else saying those things, whether you're giving them advise for their negative thoughts or congratulating them on the positive ones. There are other activities and exercises that come with the app, but you'll have to see them for yourself. The app is free to download. There are other features you may unlock for a small price. However, I've found the tools that come with the free version extremely helpful and have felt no need to spend any money on it.

These things might sound really dorky at first (I know I thought they did) but they're worth a shot. Like myself, you might find that you actually enjoy them. Sometimes the simplest coping mechanisms are the ones we overlook the most. I'm super guilty of that, but I'm ready to learn.