Share your top tips for self-care, coping & avoiding self-harm

TheMix

Hey everyone,

This week it's Eating Disorders Awareness Week and Self-Harm Awareness Day. We thought it would be good to put together a thread where we can all share our top tips for self-care, coping and avoiding self-harm. 

Comment below 5 things that help you when you're struggling. Maybe something on your list could help someone that's struggling. 

We'll be creating a Community top tips guide so if there's something someone has listed that you like, comment on this thread to let us know  

- Aife & the team

Millie2787

There’s a few that Beth from CAMHS have given me that I sometimes use
1. Holding ice in your hand ( creates pain without leaving a scar ) 
2.Drawing on the place you want to Self harm with a red Pen ( simulated blood without attucally self harming and it’s pretty good to be able to wipe it away after )
3. Draw a Butterfly on where you want to self harm and spray it with hairspray to make it waterproof ( deterrent from self harming as you won’t want to ruin the beautiful butterfly) 
4. Sleep ! ( if your asleep you can’t do anything and hopefully when you awake the feeling would of passed ) 
5. Calm Harm app ( encourages you to ride the wave of urges and provides different activities to do , you don’t even have to think of then there already listed ) 

Former Member

1. Pop balloons
2. Draw, paint or make something - art therapy
3. Hide objects you'd use - some put them in the freezer
4. Punch pillow
5. Message friends or call support lines

Siena

I have so much more than 5 so quite hard

1- this breathing thing 
https://goo.gl/images/S6Fm2L

2 - reading positive affrimations/quotes

3 - looking at things around me in loads of detail - colours,texure,shape ect. To focus on present (mindfullness)

4 watch eastenders - so it makes me feel lil bit better about my own life lool cause so bad & is distraction aswell

5 - be around people - cause less likely to self harm & be with pets