First and foremost, it is important for you to understand that online harassment is never your fault. All of us have the right to live a life free from harassment or the threat of harassment. If you are experiencing online abuse, the fault always lies with the harasser.

If you feel up to it, talk to people who care about you – whether that be family, a friend, a therapist, or an advocate. If you’re worried about how to explain online harassment to the less tech-savvy people in your life, have a look at the Crash Override Network’s Guide to Talking to Family for some useful tips. You can also share our Bystander Intervention online guide.

Know that it’s ok to feel vulnerable, and to want and need support from people who are important to you. Sometimes talking it through with someone who supports and believes you can make all the difference.

One great way of setting up a strong support network is to reach out to a friend and ask them to be your ‘self-care sponsor’. Talk to them about warning signs that you see when you’re not taking care of yourself, and ask them if they wouldn’t mind keeping an eye out and touching base when they see that you’re having a tough time. Ask if you can do the same for them – try to surround yourself with people who have each other’s backs!

Finding mental health support from someone who understands online harassment or who has experienced can also be really helpful. Consider contacting a crisis hotline, or chat service or attending one of Right To Be’s free resilience trainings.

Set aside five minutes to undertake an ‘energy audit’ to help you to think about the positive and negative influences in your life moving forwards. Think about all the things that give you energy, and that make you excited (whether it be online, at work, in the relationships you have with others). Then think about all the things that take energy away from you. Be honest with yourself about what is draining you – and try to think about whether there are any solutions to these negative or exhausting experiences. It might be that you can make changes to avoid the things that drain you or, if that’s not possible, boost your positive energy when you know you will encounter those things. Repeating positive affirmations such as ‘I am safe and sound. All is well,’ or ‘I trust myself’ when you’re feeling frazzled might boost your positive energy levels and help you to navigate a tricky or upsetting situation, for example. Take the time out to really meditate on how you’re feeling, and develop a strategy to deal with the things that sap your energy.

Remind yourself there is a world outside the internet. Go for a walk, feel your feet on the ground and the sun in your face. Porterfield recommends practicing grounding techniques that could help pull the trauma away and focusing on your present. This article includes some useful suggestions like picking up or touching items near you, holding a piece of ice, and listening to your surroundings. Learn more about grounding techniques here. The expert also recommends adding breathing exercises to your list.

You can also work it out physically, if necessary and if that helps. Consider finding ways to express yourself, like creating art, dancing it out, listening to your favorite artist, or a good podcast. Take detox from social media if necessary and ask friends or family to monitor and handle your accounts. Check out our Basic Protocol on How to Respond to Online Harassment.

Right To Be’s Storytelling platform also provides a safe space for you to speak out, report your harassment, and maintain control over your story. You’ll be able to choose how you want other bystanders to support you, take action, or intervene. Our community can help you to report or document abusive behavior. They can also have your back with safe and supportive messages. (Learn more about how our Storytelling platform works here) This could be a great and empowering way for you to talk publicly about your experiences within a community of bystanders. Also, read people’s stories and support others could be another way to practice resilience, so consider becoming an active bystander and registering as a member. You can also take time to learn more about online harassment or raise awareness about this problem by sharing articles or information on your social media.

• See our Bystander Intervention Guide to learn how to intervene if you see online harassment happens
• Check out Right To Be’s resilience guide to learn other ways to hold yourself and make active choices about how to respond to stress.