Flawsome · Mental Hygiene Kit
Психогигиена
для живых
людей.
Not therapy. Not toxic positivity. Not a mood tracker.
This is daily maintenance for your psychological state — like brushing your teeth, but for your mind.
Mental hygiene is the idea that psychological health needs regular maintenance — not just crisis response. The same way you don't wait until your teeth fall out to brush them.
This kit is built around three frameworks: CBT (thoughts shape feelings), CFT (self-compassion is a skill), and ACT (acceptance + committed action). No single framework has all the answers. You get all three.
Everything here takes under 5 minutes. Open it, use what fits, close it. That's the whole idea.
Start here
State Check-in
Name what's happening right now. Naming is the first intervention.
Understand
State Map
8 emotional states described without jargon — with specific tools for each.
Right now
Breathing
Physiological reset in 2–4 minutes. Instant nervous system regulation.
Right now
Grounding
5-4-3-2-1 and other anchoring tools. Come back to the present.
Cognitive
Reframe
Work with unhelpful thought patterns using structured CBT tools.
Daily
Daily Routine
Morning and evening psychological maintenance rituals. 5–10 min total.
Awareness
Resource Tracker
Track your energy across 6 life domains. Not mood — resources.
Reflect
Mirror
Daily reflection prompts. Short, targeted, no journaling required.
CFT
Self-Compassion
Because self-criticism rarely works, and you already know how to do it.
Reference
Technique Library
All CBT, CFT, and ACT techniques explained clearly. Browse when curious.
Step 1
State Check-in
Naming what you're feeling is the first intervention. You don't have to fix it — just identify it.
What's closest to your current state?
😰
Anxious
worried, on edge, tense
🌊
Overwhelmed
too much, can't start
🔥
Angry
frustrated, irritated, livid
🪫
Depleted
exhausted, empty, drained
🌧️
Sad
low, heavy, grieving
🫥
Numb
disconnected, flat, absent
🌀
Scattered
distracted, unfocused, restless
⚖️
Stable
okay, neutral, managing
How intense is it?
1
2
3
4
5
barely noticeableall-consuming
Understand
State Map
8 emotional states — what they feel like, what's happening underneath, and what actually helps. Click any state to expand.
Regulation · Somatic
Breathing
Your breath is the fastest path to your nervous system. Use it intentionally.
Choose a pattern
READY
Choose a pattern above
—
then press start
Why it works: Extended exhale activates the parasympathetic nervous system — your body's "rest and digest" mode. Longer exhale than inhale is the key. Box breathing adds cognitive engagement (counting) which also pulls you out of rumination.
Quick reference
PHYSIOLOGICAL SIGH
Double inhale through nose (sniff + sniff) → long exhale through mouth. Fastest known reset for acute stress. 1–3 cycles is enough.
4-7-8 RELAXATION
Inhale 4 · hold 7 · exhale 8. The long hold and extended exhale create strong parasympathetic activation. Use for anxiety or before sleep.
Regulation · Present-moment
Grounding
When you're in your head, your body is the way back. These techniques anchor you in the present moment.
5-4-3-2-1 Technique
5-4-3-2-1
Sensory Grounding
3–5 minutes · works for anxiety, dissociation, overwhelm
Name things in your environment using each sense. This forces your attention into the present moment and interrupts anxious thought loops.
👁️ 5 THINGS YOU CAN SEE
✋ 4 THINGS YOU CAN TOUCH
👂 3 THINGS YOU CAN HEAR
👃 2 THINGS YOU CAN SMELL
👅 1 THING YOU CAN TASTE
54321
Cold Water Anchor
30 seconds · acute stress · instant reset
Hold your wrists under cold water for 30–60 seconds. Focus entirely on the temperature sensation. The physical intensity of cold pulls attention fully into the body. Works fast for panic spikes.
How: Turn on cold tap. Place inner wrists (where you feel your pulse) under water. Breathe slowly. Notice only the sensation of cold. Nothing else exists for 60 seconds.
How: Turn on cold tap. Place inner wrists (where you feel your pulse) under water. Breathe slowly. Notice only the sensation of cold. Nothing else exists for 60 seconds.
BOX
Safe Place Visualisation
5 minutes · CFT-based · for emotional flooding
Close your eyes. Imagine a place — real or invented — where you feel safe and at peace. A room, a landscape, a memory. Build it slowly with all your senses.
What does it look like? Describe the light, the colours, the space.
What sounds are there? What do you feel on your skin?
What makes it feel safe?
BODY
Body Scan
5–10 minutes · for tension, dissociation, numbness
Move your attention slowly through your body from feet to head. Don't try to change anything — just notice. Awareness without judgment is itself regulating.
1
Sit or lie comfortably. Close your eyes if you can.2
Bring attention to the soles of your feet. What do you feel? Temperature, pressure, tingling?3
Move slowly up: calves → knees → thighs → hips. Spend 30 seconds on each area.4
Continue: belly → chest → notice your breathing. Is it shallow? Deep? Fast?5
Shoulders → arms → hands. Where do you hold tension?6
Neck → jaw → face → scalp. Often where we clench without knowing.7
Open your eyes slowly. Notice how you feel now vs when you started.Cognitive · CBT
Reframe
Thoughts are not facts. This section gives you structured tools to examine and shift unhelpful thinking patterns.
Thought Record
The classic CBT tool. Takes 5 minutes. Write out the situation, the automatic thought, the emotion — then examine the evidence. You're not looking for toxic positivity. You're looking for accuracy.
Situation
What happened? Describe the situation factually — just the facts, not your interpretation.
↓
Automatic Thought
What went through your mind automatically? What's the thought driving the feeling?
↓
Emotion + Intensity
What emotion did you feel? How intense was it (1–10)?
↓
Evidence FOR
What actual evidence supports this thought? (Facts only — not feelings, not interpretations.)
↓
Evidence AGAINST
What evidence contradicts this thought? What are you ignoring or discounting?
↓
Balanced Thought
What's a more balanced, accurate version of the original thought? (Not "everything is fine" — just more complete.)
Fact vs Feeling Check
One of the most powerful micro-tools in CBT. When you notice a strong thought, run it through this quick check.
FEELING (not a fact)
"I am a failure."
"Nobody likes me."
"Everything is ruined."
"I can't do anything right."
"This will never get better."
"Nobody likes me."
"Everything is ruined."
"I can't do anything right."
"This will never get better."
FACT (can be verified)
"I made a mistake on this project."
"This person didn't reply to my message."
"The deadline was missed."
"I'm tired and it's hard to concentrate."
"I don't know how this will go."
"This person didn't reply to my message."
"The deadline was missed."
"I'm tired and it's hard to concentrate."
"I don't know how this will go."
Write your current thought:
Cognitive Distortions Checklist
Cognitive distortions are systematic thinking errors. Knowing their names helps you spot them faster. Check which ones appear in your current thinking.
ACT — Defusion
Defusion (from ACT) is not about changing thoughts — it's about changing your relationship with thoughts. You notice a thought as a thought, rather than treating it as reality.
TECHNIQUE 1 — LABELLING
Instead of "I'm going to fail" → say "I notice I'm having the thought that I'm going to fail." This tiny linguistic shift creates distance. The thought doesn't disappear — but you're no longer merged with it.
TECHNIQUE 2 — THE RADIO
Imagine your anxious/critical thoughts as a radio playing in the background. You don't have to turn it off. You don't have to agree with it. It's just noise. You can still act while it plays.
TECHNIQUE 3 — THANK YOUR MIND
When a self-critical or catastrophising thought appears: "Thanks, mind. I see you're trying to protect me. I've got this." Genuinely non-sarcastic. Your mind is doing its job — just overcorrecting.
CFT · Self-Compassion
Self-Compassion
Self-criticism is not a motivational tool. It's a stress response. Self-compassion is both kinder and more effective — and it's a learnable skill.
The Three Components (Kristin Neff)
🤝
SELF-KINDNESS
Treating yourself with the warmth you'd offer a friend. Not "positive thinking" — just basic decency toward yourself when you're suffering.
🌍
COMMON HUMANITY
Recognising that suffering and failure are part of the shared human experience — not signs that something is specifically, uniquely wrong with you.
👁️
MINDFULNESS
Holding painful feelings in balanced awareness — neither suppressing them nor over-identifying with them. Noticing without drowning.
Compassionate Letter
Write to yourself as a wise, kind friend
Think about a situation that's causing you pain, shame, or self-criticism. Now imagine a wise, caring friend who knows you well — who knows your history, your struggles, your good intentions. Write what they would say to you about this situation.
Not reassurance. Not "you're amazing." Just honest, warm, human acknowledgment.
Not reassurance. Not "you're amazing." Just honest, warm, human acknowledgment.
There's no right answer. What matters is the tone — warm, honest, human.
Self-Compassion Break
The 3-step pause (Neff & Germer)
When you notice you're suffering — stressed, struggling, critical of yourself — pause and do this. Takes 2 minutes.
Acknowledge the suffering. "This is a moment of difficulty. This hurts. I'm struggling right now." — Not dramatising. Just naming it honestly.
Connect to common humanity. "Suffering is a part of life. I'm not the only person who has felt this way. Many people have been where I am now." — You're not uniquely broken.
Offer yourself kindness. Place a hand on your heart. Say — silently or aloud — "May I be kind to myself. May I give myself what I need right now." — Then do one small kind thing for yourself.
The Critical Voice — Rewrite
Write down your inner critic's most frequent phrase. Then rewrite it in the voice of a compassionate but honest friend — someone who cares about you and also tells you the truth.
INNER CRITIC SAYS
COMPASSIONATE REWRITE
Daily Practice
Daily Routine
Small consistent actions beat occasional big efforts every time. These routines take 5–10 minutes total. Check them off as you go.
WHY ROUTINE MATTERS
Psychological routines work because they reduce decision fatigue, build automaticity, and create anchor points in your day. You don't have to feel like doing them — that's the point. You do them the way you brush your teeth: not because you're inspired, but because it's maintenance.
Awareness
Resource Tracker
This is not a mood tracker. Mood is a result — resources are the cause. Track what fills and depletes you across 6 domains. Click dots to set your current level.
Where are your resources today?
What depletes you? What fills you?
⬇️ DEPLETES ME
⬆️ FILLS ME
If your resources are low across multiple domains — this is not a character flaw. It's a signal. The question is not "what's wrong with me?" but "what do I need, and what's the smallest step toward getting it?"
Daily Practice
Mirror
One question. Take 3 minutes. Write without editing. Close and move on.
Today's prompt
0 words
Saved Reflections
No saved reflections yet. Write something and click Save.
Reference
Technique Library
All the approaches used in this kit, explained. Browse when you're curious or want to go deeper.
CBT — Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
CFT — Compassion Focused Therapy
ACT — Acceptance & Commitment Therapy
Somatic & Regulation