This may be the most important lesson in the program because it explains where the rest of the program stops being enough. Read it even if you skip the other lessons in this unit, especially if you do.

Everything here is based on the idea that you are dealing with work pressure: difficult weeks, loud passengers and a direction that still matters to you.

For many people, that is an accurate description. For others, it is not. In those cases, taking more values-based action may not be the right response and could make things harder. Consider whether any of the following descriptions fits your experience:

• Weekends do not restore your energy. Perhaps you are no longer simply stretched but completely depleted. You may feel cynical about work you once cared about and have been running on empty for months. That pattern may point to burnout, not a problem with your values. The burnout program in this app is designed for this experience and begins with recovery rather than more action.
• Everything has lost its colour. Perhaps very little feels worth doing, both at work and elsewhere in your life, and this has continued for weeks. That pattern may point to low mood. This app has a complete program designed for it. Asking someone to take more values-based action without the right support can sometimes add self-blame to an already difficult experience.
• The worry is no longer only about Thursday’s meeting. Perhaps your mind is caught in a continuous stream of what-if questions about many areas of life. The worry program works directly with that pattern.
• Your sleep has been disrupted for weeks. Persistent sleep problems can resemble many of the difficulties described in this program and can make pressure harder to manage. The sleep program may be the better place to begin.

There is one more possibility, and it is more important than the others.

Lesson 1 explained that the participants experiencing the most distress showed the greatest improvement. There is another important part of that finding: they completed the training with a trainer in the room, support from a group and access to their employer’s support services.

If most days feel like a struggle, or if distress feels constant rather than something that rises and falls, a self-guided app may not provide enough support. The better next step is to speak with a person, such as your doctor or a therapist.

The researchers behind this approach describe it clearly: “It is training, not therapy.” They also delivered it with support options available.

Speaking to someone does not mean that the app has failed you or that you have failed the program. It means choosing the level of support that better matches what you are experiencing.

This program does not monitor you, and nobody is watching your answers. Reaching out is a step only you can take. If you are in immediate danger, crisis support is available from every screen in the app.