Warning Signs Worksheet: Map Your Early Signs of Crisis and What to Do About Them

About this tool

The Warning Signs Worksheet is a planning tool for identifying personal changes that may signal a developing mental health crisis. It pairs those changes with coping actions and support contacts so you have a written starting point when you feel worse. A crisis can develop gradually or quickly, and its timing is difficult to predict. You may notice changes in thinking, mood, sleep, behavior, or relationships. Writing down what is unusual for you can help you describe your concerns to someone who can help, even when you are unsure what they mean.

These signs are personal. For one person the first flag is barely sleeping and racing thoughts. For another it is withdrawing from everyone, skipping meals, or a quiet sense of hopelessness. Some signs are easier for the people around you to spot than for you, which is why it helps to ask someone you trust what they notice in you. Writing it all down turns a vague unease into a clear, actionable map. Distinguish the situation from your response: an argument might be a trigger, while withdrawing afterward might be a warning sign. You can record a sign even when you cannot identify what brought it on.

This worksheet pairs your warning signs with a plan, so the two live together. When you are struggling, decision-making gets harder, and a plan you wrote when calm can carry you through. It is closely related to a full safety plan, and if you have any thoughts of harming yourself, please use the safety plan tool and reach out for help now, using the crisis lines below.

Keep the completed PDF somewhere you can access it when you need support. Think about who else can access that location, especially on a shared phone, computer, or printer. If you choose to share a copy with someone you trust or a professional, explain what you would like them to do if they notice the signs. Check that the contact details remain current and that the people you name are willing to help.

The idea of mapping personal warning signs comes from safety planning research. Barbara Stanley and Gregory Brown's safety planning intervention, developed to help people at risk of suicide, lists identifying your own early warning signs as the first step, because recognizing the earliest signals is what makes every later step in a plan possible (Stanley & Brown, 2012). Broader personal wellness and crisis plans build on the same idea: a personal list of early warning signs paired with a written response plan that you write for yourself while calm.

There is no score to interpret here. What matters is whether your list feels true to your own experience and whether the plan next to each sign is something you could actually do on a hard day. Read it back a week after writing it and ask whether it still fits. Many people find their warning signs shift over time, so it helps to revisit and update this worksheet every few months, or after any crisis, near miss, or big change in your life.

If your warning signs are becoming more frequent, more intense, or harder to interrupt on your own, that is a sign to bring this worksheet to a professional rather than manage it alone. A therapist can help you understand the patterns underneath your signs and build a fuller plan with you; you can search the Psychology.com therapist directory to find one. If you ever have thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, any time, day or night.

Research supports safety planning as part of a broader response to suicide risk. In a study led by Barbara Stanley, emergency department patients receiving a safety planning intervention with follow-up contact had less suicidal behavior and greater outpatient treatment engagement than those receiving usual care. The comparison was observational and involved a clinical intervention with continuing contact. It does not show that this standalone worksheet prevents a crisis, predicts suicide, or replaces professional assessment.

Try describing a change in observable language. Instead of writing "I stop coping," you might write "I leave messages unanswered even when I want company." Beside it, write a response such as "I will tell my chosen support person that I am withdrawing and ask them to check in." Agree on what that person can offer, and include a backup contact if they are unavailable. You can ask for support before you have completed every field.

Look for a change from your usual pattern and how it affects daily life. An isolated poor night of sleep does not establish a diagnosis, and a blank worksheet cannot establish safety. If you want to reflect on broader concerns while you are safe, the Mental Health Assessment is a separate screening tool. Its results cannot determine whether urgent help is needed or justify waiting when you feel unsafe. The National Institute of Mental Health also identifies talking about wanting to die, preparing for death, or giving away important possessions as possible suicide warning signs. Seek help promptly for these changes, especially when they are new or increasing; do not wait for them to match your personal list.

The Coping Skills Library and Grounding Techniques offer exercises to consider alongside your support plan. For thoughts of suicide or self-harm, seek immediate help and work with a professional on a Suicide Safety Plan, including ways to reduce access to things that could be used for harm. In the United States, call or text 988; in immediate danger, call your local emergency number. You do not need to finish a worksheet before reaching out.

Reviewed by Michael Callans, MSW
Reviewed for accuracy, safe framing, and inclusion of crisis resources.

References

1. Stanley B, Brown GK. Safety planning intervention: a brief intervention to mitigate suicide risk. Cogn Behav Pract. 2012;19(2):256-264.
2. 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
3. Stanley B, Brown GK, Brenner LA, et al. Comparison of the Safety Planning Intervention With Follow-up vs Usual Care of Suicidal Patients Treated in the Emergency Department. JAMA Psychiatry. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29998307/
4. National Institute of Mental Health. My Mental Health: Do I Need Help? https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/my-mental-health-do-i-need-help
5. National Institute of Mental Health. Warning Signs of Suicide. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/warning-signs-of-suicide

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