Understand · Breathe · Take one small step
Hard days are human.
You don't have to face them alone.
Research-based answers on mental illness, therapy and dementia — and simple ways to find calm.
More than 300 plain-English pages: depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, OCD, ADHD, sleep, grief, loneliness and stress; over 70 pages on therapies such as CBT, DBT, ACT and EMDR, many as step-by-step lessons; and a full guide to dementia for families. Plus guided breathing, tai chi and qigong. Free. No ads. No sign-up. Nothing you type leaves your device.
Start where you are
How are you right now?
Practice studio
Eight practices, each with its evidence shown.
Guided on screen, with optional voice. Chair versions for the movement practices.
Cyclic sighing
Two inhales through the nose, one long exhale. The body's own reset button — and the practice this site is named for.
Box breathing
In for four, hold for four, out for four, hold for four. An even, square rhythm to steady busy thoughts.
5-4-3-2-1 grounding
Use your five senses to come back to the room you are in. Quiet enough to do on a bus or in a waiting room.
Body scan
Move your attention slowly from your toes to the top of your head, noticing without fixing. A core practice of MBSR and MBCT.
Progressive muscle relaxation
Tense one muscle group, then let it go, and feel the difference. Teaches your body what “relaxed” actually feels like.
Loving-kindness
Silently offer simple wishes of well-being — to yourself, someone you love, a stranger, and the wider world.
Baduanjin (Eight Brocades)
Eight flowing qigong movements practiced in China for about 800 years. Gentle enough for most bodies — with a full chair version.
Tai chi basics
Six foundational tai chi movements — slow weight shifts and soft circling arms. Meditation in motion.
Tools that stay yours
Make a plan. Keep it. Share it if you want to.
Each tool builds a page that belongs to you — saved only in your browser or inside a private link you choose to send.
My Calm Plan
Your warning signs, what calms you, and who to call — on one page you can print or send.
Build yours →Safety Plan
The step-by-step plan crisis counselors use, for moments when things feel unbearable.
Make a safety plan →Send a minute of calm
Make a personal card that invites someone you love to breathe with you.
Send one →For older adults
Later life can be full — and still hard sometimes.
Why depression can look different after 60, a check-in made for later life, chair-friendly qigong and tai chi, Medicare benefits, and a 24/7 friendship line.
Open the older adults guide →For caregivers & families
Caring for someone — and for yourself.
What to say when someone is struggling, how to ask about suicide, how to share the load of caring for a parent or partner, and how to spot burnout in yourself.
Open the caregivers guide →Dementia guide
Memory changes, dementia, and the family.
Normal aging or a warning sign, young-onset dementia, new treatments, day-to-day care, care options, legal planning, and support for families.
Open the dementia guide →Mental health
Understand what you're going through.
Depression
What depression is, how common it is, the main signs, what treatments help and how well, when to get help, and where to learn more on each topic.
Read →Anxiety
What anxiety is, the main types, how common it is, which treatments help and how well, when to get help, and where to learn more on each topic.
Read →Stress
What stress is, how it affects your body and mind, how burnout differs, and simple ways to cope. Learn the signs that mean it is time to get help.
Read →Sleep
How sleep affects mood and health, the signs of insomnia, sleep apnea and other sleep problems, what treatments help, and when to see a doctor.
Read →Grief
What grief can feel like, why it comes in waves, what helps, signs that grief has become stuck, when to get help, and links to every grief page.
Read →Loneliness
What loneliness and social isolation are, who is most at risk, how they affect health, what helps, when to get help, and links to every loneliness page.
Read →PTSD and trauma
What trauma does to the mind and body, the four kinds of PTSD symptoms, how common PTSD is, which treatments work best, and when to get help.
Read →Bipolar disorder
What bipolar disorder is, the kinds of mood episodes and types, how common it is, how treatment works, when to get help, and links to every topic.
Read →OCD
What OCD is, how obsessions and compulsions feed each other, how common it is, which treatments work best, and when to get help.
Read →ADHD
What ADHD looks like in adults, how it is diagnosed, which medicines and therapies help, and what changes in later life, with links to every ADHD page.
Read →East meets evidence
Old traditions, checked against new science.
Practices like tai chi and Baduanjin qigong have been refined in China over centuries. Mindfulness grew from Buddhist meditation. Today researchers test these practices in clinical trials — and some hold up remarkably well.
We respect both. Every practice and tip on WhySigh carries a badge that tells you how strong the research is, so you can choose with clear eyes.
- Strong evidenceMany good trials or a clinical guideline agree.
- Moderate evidenceSeveral trials agree, with some limits.
- PromisingEarly or small trials look good. Not settled.
- Limited researchWidely used, little tested. Low risk.
- Traditional practiceLong practice history, no claims made.
Our promise
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