Your Emotional Toolbox

Counselling sessions can be powerful spaces for healing, insight and growth—but what about the days in between? Life doesn’t pause between appointments, and emotions often surface at inconvenient times. That’s where having a well-stocked emotional toolbox can make all the difference.

Just like a physical toolbox helps you fix things around the house, your emotional toolbox gives you tools to regulate, soothe and support your mental wellbeing in daily life. Though there are a bunch more, here are some tried-and-true techniques, tools and apps that you can draw on when you need support between sessions.

1. Grounding Techniques

When emotions feel overwhelming or when anxiety hits, grounding strategies can bring you back to the present moment. Try the 5-4-3-2-1 method:

• Name 5 things you can see

• 4 things you can feel

• 3 things you can hear

• 2 things you can smell

• 1 thing you can taste
  This sensory exercise helps anchor you in the here and now, reducing racing thoughts and physical symptoms of anxiety.

2. Mood-Tracking Apps

Monitoring how you feel over time can help you (and your counsellor) notice patterns, triggers, and improvements. Some helpful apps include:

• Daylio: A simple mood and activity tracker with visual graphs

• Moodnotes: Combines journaling with CBT-based prompts

• Bearable: Allows tracking of mood, sleep, energy and symptoms

Using these regularly helps make sense of emotional fluctuations and supports more productive therapy sessions.

3. Mindfulness and Breathing Apps

Calming the nervous system is essential when you’re feeling stressed, dysregulated, or emotionally exhausted. Try:

• Insight Timer: Offers free guided meditations, music and talks

• Smiling Mind: An Australian app designed by psychologists for stress, sleep, and focus

• Box Breathing: Inhale 4 seconds, hold 4, exhale 4, hold 4—repeat until calmer

Even just 5 minutes a day can help your mind and body feel more centred.

4. Affirmations and Self-Talk

The way we speak to ourselves matters. Negative self-talk can reinforce unhelpful beliefs, but affirmations can shift your mindset over time. Try writing or repeating phrases like:

• “I am doing the best I can with what I have.”

• “This feeling is temporary; it will pass.”

• “I am allowed to take up space and meet my needs.”

Apps like I Am or ThinkUp send daily affirmation notifications you can personalise.

5. Creative Outlets

Journaling, art, music, and movement are powerful emotional releases. Try expressive writing to get thoughts out of your head and onto paper—no editing or judgment, just flow. You might also create a playlist of songs that match or shift your mood, or keep a small sketchbook to doodle emotions.

Your emotional toolbox is deeply personal—what works for someone else may not work for you, and that’s okay. The goal is to have a range of strategies you can reach for when emotions arise, not to “fix” or suppress them, but to support yourself with kindness and skill.

Between counselling sessions, these tools can empower you to take an active role in your emotional wellbeing. Think of them as your daily companions, helping you cope, reflect, and grow—one small step at a time.