Glossary

This glossary explains the words and techniques we use in Mind Guard 365. It is written in plain English so you can quickly check what something means without opening a separate site. The same definitions are shown in the app when you tap the information icon on a tool.

Nothing here is a diagnosis, treatment or a substitute for professional care. If a term is missing that would help you use the app, email us at privacy@mindguard365.com and we will consider it for a future release.

Terms A to Z

CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy)

A structured, evidence-informed approach that looks at the links between thoughts, feelings and behaviours. In Mind Guard 365 we use CBT-style ideas in reflections and thought records; the app is not a course of therapy.

DBT (dialectical behaviour therapy)

A therapy originally developed for people who feel emotions very intensely. It teaches skills in mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation and relationships. Our app uses simplified versions of these skills for everyday use, not the full clinical programme.

Mindfulness

A way of paying attention to what is happening right now, in your body, breath or surroundings, without trying to change or judge it. Short mindfulness practices can help you notice how you feel and settle a busy head.

Grounding

Techniques that use your senses to bring your attention out of overwhelming thoughts or feelings and back to the present. A common example is the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise (naming things you can see, hear, feel, smell and taste).

Box breathing

A slow breathing pattern where you breathe in for four counts, hold for four, breathe out for four and hold again for four. It can help calm your nervous system when you feel wound up.

PMR (progressive muscle relaxation)

A relaxation exercise where you gently tense and release each muscle group in turn to notice the difference between tense and relaxed. Useful for physical tension and for winding down before sleep.

Thought record

A short CBT-style exercise where you write down a difficult thought, what happened, how it made you feel and one or two other ways of looking at the situation. The aim is noticing thought patterns, not proving thoughts wrong.

Behavioural activation

An approach that gently increases the small, meaningful actions you take when you feel low, because doing something valued can lift mood before it feels easy. In the app this looks like tiny plans, values and streaks.

Self-compassion

Treating yourself with the same kindness you would offer a friend, especially when things go wrong. It has three parts: being kind to yourself, remembering that struggling is part of being human and staying aware of what you are feeling without exaggerating it.

Values

The kind of person you want to be and the way you want to spend your time (for example, being a caring parent, a curious learner or a good friend). Values are not goals you tick off; they are directions you keep moving in.

Urge surfing

A skill for riding out a strong urge (to lash out, drink, self-harm, doom-scroll and so on) without acting on it. You watch the urge rise and fall like a wave, breathe through it and let it pass.

Opposite action

A DBT skill where you deliberately do the opposite of what a difficult emotion is pushing you to do, when the urge does not fit the facts. For example, taking a small step towards a fear when anxiety says to hide.

Sleep hygiene

The habits and environment that support good sleep. Common ideas include keeping a regular wake time, winding down before bed, limiting bright screens late at night and keeping the room cool and dark.

HRV (heart rate variability)

The natural variation in the time between one heartbeat and the next. Higher variability at rest often reflects a well-regulated nervous system. In the app we mention HRV as context, we do not measure it clinically.

ESF (Evidence Standards Framework)

The NICE Evidence Standards Framework for digital health technologies, which sets out what evidence is expected for different levels of health app. Mind Guard 365 sits at the psychoeducation end of the framework.

BCT (behaviour change technique)

A specific, well-defined technique used to help someone change behaviour, taken from published behaviour-change taxonomies. Examples include goal-setting, self-monitoring, feedback and prompts.

Where these ideas come from

The techniques above come from widely used, publicly documented self-help and psychoeducation approaches. For the recognised UK and US public bodies whose material we draw on, see the approach and evidence page.