Support and resources during difficult times

You may be experiencing increased worry, anxiety or fear because of current events.  

It’s common for events like these to have an impact on mental health and general wellness, even if you aren’t being affected directly.

Remember that you are not alone. Listed below are a wide variety of resources that may be helpful during this time. All of these resources are free.

Counselling

Professional counsellors are here to talk to you about anything that’s on your mind. Your conversations will stay confidential. Available 24/7.

• Adults can call 1-866-585-0445

• Youth can call 1-888-668-6810

• Indigenous peoples can call Hope for Wellness at 1-855-242-3310 OR use the Hope for Wellness online chat

If you don’t have a phone, you can also connect through your computer by using a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) such as Skype, Facetime, or Google Voice.

Crisis support

If you are in immediate need of support, get in touch with a trained crisis responder. These services are available 24/7.

If you’re in Canada

• Adults can text WELLNESS to 741741

• Youth can text WELLNESS to 686868

If you’re outside of North America

• Check Find a Helpline for a number you can call to be connected to a crisis support line (English only).

• Adults can also access phone counselling from Homewood Health by placing a collect call to 778-372-0189. 

Worry and anxiety in uncertain times

WTC has resources that offer information and support for a range of feelings and experiences. 

If you are looking for ways to manage your worry or anxiety, please review our summary of available resources for managing worry. Some of these resources include immediate exercises for worry. 

You may be feeling anxious about on-going events. Even if you aren’t affected directly, you may be concerned about other people who are. You may also notice that your anxiety is made worse by recent events. 

• Homewood Health Uncovering the Faces of Anxiety explains what anxiety is, how it’s different from stress, and ways to manage anxiety.

• Children and teens can take Kids Help Phone’s questionnaire on anxiety. This questionnaire can help you understand your own anxiety and what type of resources might help. 

If you are experiencing stress:

You may be experiencing stress for a number of reasons. Some examples include concerns about:

• Wellbeing

• Health

• Finances

• People you care about

Although you may not have control over all of the things that cause you stress, there are  techniques that can help you cope with it. If you are looking for ways to manage your stress, you can explore our resources on stress.

If you are feeling overwhelmed:

• Try this grounding exercise to help you shift focus and feel calmer when you are feeling overwhelmed

• Practice abdominal breathing to help calm your mind and settle your body

• Try Mindwell’s Take 5 tool for a positive distraction

• Children and teens can also try the Kids Help Phone glowing body scan exercise or the Kids Help Phone tension release exercise to calm down

If you are experiencing grief and loss:

Different experiences can cause grief and feelings of loss. These experiences can include the death of a person who is important to you, or a significant change in your life.  If you are experiencing grief, you can explore our resources on coping with grief and loss.

Grief coaching

If you’d like to talk to someone over the phone, you can reach out to a professional grief coach through Homewood Health at 1-866-585-0445. They will provide you with support and resources to help you manage the emotions that you may feel when dealing with grief and loss.

Children and teens can use this Kids Help Phone resource on grieving a loss to find information on processing their feelings and getting support.