We all experience stress.

Stress triggers the body's "fight-or-flight" response, which causes changes like a faster heartbeat, tense muscles, quicker breathing, changes in hormones, and certain behaviors.

Managing stress through relaxation techniques, exercise, mindfulness, and healthy coping mechanisms can help restore balance in ones daily life and reduce the negative impact on the nervous system. Managing stress early on will reduce the likelihood of an anxiety disorder or other mental health disorders. 

Below are coping skills and apps we use with all of our clients, which can also be helpful in managing stress or anxiety. At intake, 100% of Our Front Porch clients are diagnosed with acute stress disorder. Through regular therapy, consistent use of coping strategies, and app support, we’ve found that symptoms are alleviated, and long-term mental health challenges are prevented.

If you would like help finding a therapist or have any questions, you can reach out to Maggie, our Licensed Clinical Social Worker, at Maggie@OurFrontPorchCO.org or 720-523-5899.

Infographic showing grounding techniques for the senses, listing five categories: sight, touch, hearing, smell, and taste, each with corresponding numbers and icons.
Diagram illustrating a box breathing technique with instructions for inhaling, holding, exhaling, and holding for four seconds each, with arrows indicating the breathing cycle within a square outline.

Happify

Meditations based on positive psychology, mindfulness, and cognitive behavioral therapy

Download app:

Apple | Google

Headspace

Guided and unguided meditations and a personalized to-do list

Download app:

Apple | Google

Logo with large blue letters B and R, connected by a red ribbon with a star at the center, on a black rounded square background.

Breathe2Relax

Stress management tool utilizing breathing exercises

Download app:

Apple | Google

Calm

Meditations, sleep stories, music and breathing exercises

Download app:

Apple | Google

PTSD Coach

Reliable information on PTSD, symptoms and easy-to-use tools to manage symptoms

Download app:

Apple | Google

Insight Timer

Large library of free meditations and music tracks

Download app:

Apple | Google

Mindfulness Coach

Mindfulness techniques to reduce stress

Download app:

Apple | Google

We hope these coping skills and apps have been helpful and has left you feeling more in tune with your mental health.

At Our Front Porch, we prioritize the mental health of disaster survivors and use our expertise to guide them through the many layers of long-term recovery. Home fires can trigger past trauma so our therapists focus on meeting basic needs first - getting rehoused, starting an insurance claim, and replacing essentials - then gently support clients in processing the fire’s impact on their mental health.

We are primarily funded by individual donors and rely on that generosity to keep all services free to disaster survivors. We hope you don’t need our services in the future, but if you do, we are here for you. Please spread the word to anyone impacted by a disaster.

And please consider a donation as insurance that someone will be there to help you and your family and friends when they need it.