About

We live in times of unprecedented mental health challenges. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by a massive 25%. Young people and women are worst hit.

This project's goal is to bring to life the "Keep Cool" positive affirmations card deck — in a digital form for now — to help address this crisis.

This deck is a 100% original creation, designed with devotion and care, and contains no AI-generated content.

English printed prototype of the Keep Cool card deck — English printed prototype

How to use this deck

Each card features a positive thought, sometimes concrete, sometimes more symbolic. You can use the deck on a mobile device whenever you are — at school, in the Uni, at work, on the go or at home. Just bookmark it.

Draw a Card: Pick a card randomly and let it resonate within you whenever you need it. Allow images and feelings to unfold. Use it as your resource state to go back to when you need to regulate your emotions.

Set an Intention: Use a card in the morning to align your day with its message.

Reflect: At the end of the day, reflect on how the card influenced your thoughts and actions. You might want to journal to channel your insights.

This is intentional living.

Over time, you'll realize these cards can accompany you at every moment and help you navigate certain situations differently — with more positivity and serenity. You'll also discover, as mysterious as it may seem, that chance works wonderfully well, and every time, you draw the exact card you need.

Where did this project come from?

The “Keep Cool” cards in their text only version were imagined and trialled as part of “Keep Cool” clubs, created and led in French schools by a non-for-profit association L’Arbre Enchanté.

These clubs were based on two key principles:

discussions to foster a more harmonious and balanced life,
and simple practices of breathing and relaxation.

Beyond the wellness techniques, these clubs provided a space where individuals dedicated to personal growth came together around human values such as respect, active listening, kindness, and a shared philosophy of life. A card pulled from the deck was used to set the tone at the beginning of each session, or sum it all up at the end. Then that positive thought was taken home by the participants. Mr. Chance was a cheeky accomplice in the use of this card deck, early adopters report!

Handmade personal Keep Cool affirmation cards in French — Handmade personal version in French shared by Fanny D., Keep cool club member

As a linguist, teacher, and mindfulness practitioner, I've spent over 20 years guiding others to navigate life's challenges with serenity. I personally used affirmations on sticky notes in my personal journey since 2005, and that specific deck (in text-only version) since 2012 in the Keep Cool clubs I run in Australia since I moved here. It helped me counter persistent negative thoughts (that seemed totally justified by the situations I was in — the key term here is "seemed").

Collaborating with my French friends from L’Arbre Enchanté, and a Melbourne based artist Lily Nova, we've created the illustrated version of this affirmation deck to empower you every day.

My dream is to make this serenity kit cards deck available in all major world languages and offer it to everyone who would benefit from it, along with education kits and Keep Cool workshops. People all around the world could use this deck to overcome stress, support a positive mindset and make their lives better every day.

If you know an organisation who could fund a paper deck batch, please get in touch.