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Self Harm distractions
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Hey :wave:
So, I have like, 5 pages of distractions to help through urges of wanting to self-harm. I was given them, by Becki (CAMHS Worker) and thought to share - you've probably heard of most of them, but there's some that are awesome.
Displacement
Reinforcing
Physical
Creative
Comforting
Constructive
Fun
Distractions with others
Inspiring
My favourite one, and one which made me think ''that's an amazing idea'' was the glow stick. I love glow sticks and it's something that keeps me occupied.
I hope some of them help you
So, I have like, 5 pages of distractions to help through urges of wanting to self-harm. I was given them, by Becki (CAMHS Worker) and thought to share - you've probably heard of most of them, but there's some that are awesome.
Displacement
- Drawing on yourself in red marker
- Snapping an elastic band on your wrist
- Putting on fake or henna tattoos and then peeling them off
- Putting plasters or bandages on where you want to self-harm
- Mix warm water and food colouring and put it on your skin
- Make ice cubes with added red food colouring and rub them on where you want to self-harm
- Squeezing ice cubes
- Chewing leather
- Use stage make up to create fake injuries
- Use skin coloured plasticine, smear it on your ski, cut into the plasticine (carefully) pour fake blood or food colouring into the fake cut
- Draw yourself or around your arm on a piece of paper, draw the harm you are imagining then destroy the picture
- Take a photo of yourself when you are feeling upset, write all over it how you are feeling then destroy the picture
- Take a hot shower and use a good exfoliating body wash and a sponge or glove and scrub
- Bite into a chilli
Reinforcing
- Thinking about not wanting scars in the summer
- Thinking about not wanting to go hospital (if they needed medical attention)
- Set yourself a target e.g. 10 minutes and promise yourself not to harm in this time, once you get to the 10 minute point set a new target of 15 minutes and continue
- Use a glowstick, when you feel the urge to harm, snap the glowstick to start it glowing tell yourself taht you can't harm until it stops glowing. The glow will last for a few hours by which time your urges will hopefully have passed
Physical
- Exercise - Sit ups etc
- Going to the gym
- Punching a punch bag
- Having a pillow fight with the wall
- Shouting and screaming
- Ripping up paper into small pieces
- Popping bubble wrap
- Popping balloons
- Playing with a stress ball
- Plucking your eyebrows
- Taking your anger out on a soft toy
- Throwing socks against the wall
- Dancing
- Stamping your feet (with boots on)
- Playing catch with a ball
- Going for a drive/bike ride/bus ride/walk/run
Creative
- Writing poetry, journals, letters, stories etc
- Doodling or scribbling on paper
- Playing a musical instrument
- Singing
- Knitting
- Sewing
- Crocheting
- Drawing or painting
- Origami
- Memorising poetry or song lyrics
- Making a mix tape, compilation of your favourite music
Comforting
- Cuddling a soft toy/pillow
- Allowing yourself to cry
- Sleeping
- Taking a shower or bath
- Playing with a pet
- Drinking hot chocolate
- Wearing your pyjamas and watching TV
- Having a massage or massaging your own hands and feet
Constructive
- Doing school work, homework,paperwork
- Writing a to do list
- Untangling necklaces, string, wool
- Organising your room, clothes, photographs
- Cleaning
- Organising CD's, DVD's and books in genres, alphabetical and/or chronological order
- Reading a book
- Cooking, bake a cake or make cookies
- Calling a helpline, Samaritans, child line etc
- Polishing furniture
- Posting on web forums/reply to posts
- Writing a list of positive things in your life (positive book)
- Shredding paper
- Dying hair
- Painting your nails
- Putting on false nails
- Putting on fake tan
- Stamping on cans for recycling (with sturdy shoes on)
- Gardening
Fun
- Watching your favourite TV show
- Going to see a film, watching a DVD
- Surf the internet
- Listen to music, download new music
- Dressing up glamorous or silly
- Using make up or face paints
- Finger painting
- Colouring in
- Playing with play dough or modelling clay
- Jumping in puddles
- Hunting for things on EBay/Amazon
- Planning an imaginary party
- Looking for your perfect house in the paper
- Write down your full name then make as many words out of it as possible
- Counting anything, patterns on wallpaper, bricks on a wall, ceiling tiles
- Playing computer games
- Coloruing or scribble over pretty women in magazines or cutting up magazines
- Building things from Lego then destroy them and rebuild
- Going to the zoo and renaming all the animals
- Playing with a distraction toy such as a bedlam cube, geomag, or a tangle
- Doing crosswords, wordsearches, sudoku etc
- Naming all your soft toys
- Play with a slinky
- Going shopping to treat yourself
Distractions with others
- Generally being with other people
- Phoning a friend
- Helping someone else
- Going to a public place
- Visiting a friends
- Hugs *hug*
- Talking about your problems with someone close to you that knows what you're going through
Inspiring
- Looking up into the sky, cloud watching or star gazing
- Watching a candle burning
- Meditating
- Picking an object a shell or a rock for example and focusing on it very closely
- Look at works of art
- Watch fish, birds and butterflies
- Yoga/Tai chi
My favourite one, and one which made me think ''that's an amazing idea'' was the glow stick. I love glow sticks and it's something that keeps me occupied.
I hope some of them help you
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Comments
I have a tangle that also helps me and keep me busy especially when I take all the pieces of it and have to put it back together.
Great blog post
Thank you for sharing these distractions, I am sure people will find it useful
purple_rain
Welcomes:)