Coloring books, music, nature. Stress balls, positive self-talk, exercise. Do you have the mental-health tools you need when you’re feeling stressed or anxious? Planning ahead for days that require a little adjusting is what a mental-health toolbox is all about. And everyone should have one, with their tools at the ready.

What, exactly, is a mental-health toolbox? Executive Director Tom Duff, MSW, LCSW offers a checklist of items and suggestions you can put together to help you cope with the stresses and struggles of emotional- and mental-health situations. Hear what he has to say in this week’s Mental Health Matters episode about how, as a therapist himself, he recently needed to reach for some tool time of his own. And how, as summer vacation approaches, stocking up on parent and kid toolboxes is important, especially for those days when stress in the house runs high.