Self-Harm Distraction Strategies

Hey, everyone! It's really hard to decrease your self-harming behaviours, whatever they may be. However, well done on trying and getting this far! It doesn't matter how BIG or small your achievement is, it should still be celebrated. You WANT to recover, and that's amazing! Good on you, keep going! You got this :) Even if you're not sure yet, going through these forums is a step in the right direction! It's hard to actively CHOOSE recovery, and it's scary. We don't know what's ahead of us, this is an unknown path. There will be many ups and downs, but there are MANY people out there who care for you and want to help.

It is said that on average, a person should have 3-5 distraction/healthy coping skills to outweigh the one unhealthy coping skill. So here's a (super long) list of some distraction strategies, organised into categories for convenience (Comforting, Distracting with Others, Physical, Fun Stuff, Inspiring Activities, Reinforcement, Constructive, Replacement and Creative!) Experiment and find the ones that suit you. Give some of them a try for a week or so- just because it doesn't work one day doesn't mean it's automatically not a fit for you! Sorry for this really long list, but I hope this helps! xx

COMFORTING

- Cuddle a soft toy/ your favourite pillow/blanket
- take a hot shower/bath
- Drink herbal tea/hot chocolate
- Have a massage
- Sleep!
- Play with a pet/ animal

Distracting with Others

- Text/phone a
- Be with others
- Talk to someone you trust about your problems (friend, helpline, family member)
- Help someone else- e.g. volunteer at a retirement village or a homeless shelter
- Hug someone!
- Go to a populated area e.g. local park, shopping centre/mall. Watch people walk by and make up stories about the people you see. Why are they so sad? Why are they dressed so professionally? Who is part of their family? Relatives? Extended family? Friends? Where do they work? Where are they going?

Physical

- Exercise (do your own, or find YouTube tutorials, or on an app)
- Streeeeeeeeeetch!
- Pilates
- Pillow fight with the wall/toys/a family member
- Punch a punching bag
- Squeeze a stress ball
- Pop bubble wrap
- Scream and shout
- Go for a walk/run/bike ride
- Rip up paper

FUN STUFF!

- Go on YouTube- watch your favourite YouTuber/YouTube videos/find new YouTubers
- Watch a movie
- Watch a favourite TV show
- Take a trip down memory lane and rewatch your childhood favourite films/TV shows!
- Listen to music
- Pop balloons
- Play with a fidget spinner and perform some tricks!
- Colour in
- Scroll through eBay
- Plan a trip (can be imaginary!)
- Write down your full name and make as many words out of it as possible
- Count anything (tiles, how many green objects are in your room)
- Name all your toys
- Build Lego, then destroy it
- Find unique/interesting/rare/endangered/extinct animals online
- Learn 5 new random/odd facts and post them!
- Make a parody of a song of your choice! Or watch parodies on YouTube!
- Rename all the animals!
- Surf the web, do a Google deep dive
- Play compuer games, board games
- Solve a crossword, Sudoku, word search

Inspiring Activities

- Watch clouds move by
- Watch the stars
- Watch a burning candle
- Watch a fish/butterfly/insect
- Meditate/Yoga/Tai Chi

Reinforcement

- Think about not wanting scars for the summer/wanting to wear a bathing suit without cover ups
- Think about not wanting to go to the hospital
- Set a no cutting period- start small then gradually increase the times

CONSTRUCTIVE

- Do homework/study/paperwork
- Untangle string, wool, necklaces
- Organise your room, cupboards, photographs, paperwork, electronic organisation
- Clean
- Read a book
- Post on blogs/forums! (psst... 7 Cups! ;) )
- Shred paper
- Paint your nails (extra- add designs!)
- Fake tattoo yourself
- Stamp on cans/empty tissue boxes/cardboard boxes for recycling
- Call a helpline/lifeline
- Write a to-do list for the next day
- organise your planner
- Cook a delicious meal!
- Bake cookies/muffins/cakes

Replacement

- Draw on yourself in red texta
- Snap an elastic band on yourself
- Squeeze ice cubes in your hand
- Bite into a chilli/Wasabi (very spicy!!!)
- Put band-aids where you want to injure yourself
- Dig your nails into your skin (without breaking it)

Creative

- Journal how you feel (extra- write a journal entry from someone else's perspective!)
- Sing
- Dance
- Doodle
- Origami
- Knit/Sew/Crotchet
- Play an instrument
- Make new lyrics
- Scribble your feelings on paper then rip it up