Personal Wellness and Crisis Plan: Write Down What Keeps You Well and What You Want in a Crisis
A personal plan that records what helps you stay well, the signs that things are slipping, and the support you want if a crisis comes. Use this free worksheet to put your preferences in writing before you need them.
Reviewed by Michael Callans, MSW 
About this tool
A personal wellness and crisis plan is a written record of what keeps you well day to day, the early signs that your mental health is slipping, and the actions you and the people around you should take at each stage. This worksheet helps you write all of that down in one place, in your own words. Its central idea is simple: your own experience and preferences belong at the center of planning, alongside professional advice when you need it. Writing while you feel able to reflect gives you a reference for the days when deciding what to do feels much harder.
The plan is built in layers. You start with a wellness toolbox, the things that reliably help you feel good, then describe what you are like when you are well so you have a baseline to compare against. From there you map your triggers, your early warning signs, and the signs that things are getting seriously worse, pairing each stage with concrete actions. Finally you write a crisis plan that tells supporters what you want, and what you do not want, when you cannot speak for yourself, and a short note on what helps you recover afterward. The whole thing keeps you in the driver's seat of your own care.
The value of a plan like this is in catching difficulty early. By naming your triggers and the first subtle signs of trouble, you create chances to act while you still have options, long before a full crisis. Many people find that the act of writing the plan is itself clarifying, and that sharing it with a trusted person or a clinician makes their support far more effective. Written advance plans for mental health crises have been studied in their own right: in a randomized trial by Swanson and colleagues, people who completed a facilitated advance directive for psychiatric care felt more in control of their treatment and were more likely to have their preferences known to their care team.
This worksheet walks you through the core sections of a personal plan. Take your time, and revisit it as you learn more about what keeps you well. Use the PDF as a copy you can review with a trusted supporter or clinician. Before sharing, consider which personal details that person needs and how you want them to use the information. Keep contact details accessible when you need help.
A plan like this works best as a living document, not a one-time exercise. Revisit it every few months, or after any stretch where you needed to use it, and update the details as you learn what actually helps and what warning signs you missed the first time. Many people find it useful to walk through the plan with a therapist or peer supporter, since an outside perspective often catches early signs that are hard to see in yourself.
The most common mistake is filling out the crisis section and stopping there. The daily habits and early warning sections can help you recognize changes and seek support before a crisis develops, so give them the same care. The second common mistake is writing a plan and never sharing it with anyone, which leaves the people around you guessing exactly when you need them and how.
If this is your first plan, or a past plan did not hold up during a hard stretch, working through it with a licensed therapist or peer support specialist can help you build something sturdier. You can search our directory at /therapist/, free and without an account.
The evidence for self-management planning is encouraging but has limits. A 2019 meta-analysis by Lean and colleagues found that structured self-management programs for people with serious mental illness were associated with fewer symptoms, fewer hospital admissions, and better self-rated recovery than usual care. Those studies evaluated full programs with training and support, so they leave uncertainty about the benefits of completing a web worksheet on its own. This page is an educational planning aid, and finishing it does not show that someone is ready to manage a crisis without help.
Separate an event from your response to it. A difficult conversation might be a trigger; withdrawing from people afterward might be an early warning sign. Write the action beside the sign, such as contacting a trusted friend or asking your clinician for advice. The Warning Signs Worksheet can help you make vague phrases such as getting worse more concrete. A Mood Tracker can provide examples to discuss, without determining a diagnosis.
Check whether the plan is usable on a difficult day. Replace try harder with an action you can begin, name who can help with essential tasks, and identify what to do if your usual clinician cannot be reached. Include treatment preferences to discuss with your care team rather than instructions to change medication on your own. You can revise the plan after using it, with attention to what was missing rather than blame about what went wrong.
If safety is at risk, seek help before finishing the worksheet. A Suicide Safety Plan is a more focused companion for suicidal thoughts or self-harm risk. In the US, call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for immediate support. Review your crisis section with a clinician and chosen supporters so that they understand the warning signs, their roles, and when to seek emergency help.
References
- Stanley B, Brown GK. Safety Planning Intervention: a brief intervention to mitigate suicide risk. Cogn Behav Pract. 2012;19(2):256-264.
- Swanson JW, Swartz MS, Elbogen EB, et al. Facilitated psychiatric advance directives: a randomized trial of an intervention to foster advance treatment planning among persons with severe mental illness. Am J Psychiatry. 2006;163(11):1943-1951. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17074946/
- Lean M, Fornells-Ambrojo M, Milton A, et al. Self-management interventions for people with severe mental illness: systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Psychiatry. 2019;214(5):260-268. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30898177/
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. 988 Frequently Asked Questions. https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/988/faqs
Cite this source
Psychology.com. (2026, September 25). Personal Wellness and Crisis Plan. Psychology.com. https://psychology.com/tools/personal-wellness-crisis-plan
Personal Wellness and Crisis Plan FAQ
What is a personal wellness and crisis plan?
It is a plan you write in your own words that covers what keeps you well day to day, your triggers and early warning signs, what you want to happen in a crisis, and what helps you recover afterward. Writing it while you are steady means you and the people around you have a reference for the days when deciding what to do feels much harder.
Is this kind of planning evidence-based?
Structured self-management programs for people with serious mental illness have been associated with fewer symptoms, fewer hospital admissions, and better self-rated recovery in a 2019 meta-analysis by Lean and colleagues, and facilitated advance planning for psychiatric crises improved people's sense of control over their treatment in a randomized trial by Swanson and colleagues. Those studies evaluated full programs with training and support, so they do not establish that this worksheet alone has the same effects. Use it to support planning and conversations with your care team.
Who is this worksheet for?
Anyone who wants a clear plan to stay well and manage ups and downs, including people living with depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, or other ongoing challenges. You can build it on your own or with a clinician or peer supporter.
What if I'm in crisis right now?
Use the crisis plan section and reach out for help. In the US, call or text 988 for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or text HOME to 741741 for the Crisis Text Line. If you are in immediate danger, call 911 or your local emergency number.
How is this different from a safety plan?
A safety plan focuses narrowly on staying safe during a suicidal or self-harm crisis. This plan is broader: it covers daily habits, triggers, and early warning signs as well as a crisis section and a note on recovery afterward, so it helps you stay well day to day, not only during an emergency. Many people keep both.
How often should I update my plan?
Review it every few months, and always after a stretch where you had to use it. Update the details as you learn what actually helped, what warning signs you missed, and whether the people you listed as supporters are still the right ones to call.