I've been clean from self harm for 4 years, but i still struggle every day. Are there ways to keep my mind off it?

Being a former self harmer myself... I did it for about 5-6 years straight, & My fiance was the one who got me to stop and believe me there are days where I want that feeling of release again and I think about doing it again just one more time...But then I think about why I quit in the first place, & How I couldn't just do it once without getting a taste to do it everyday like I used too.. Just remember why you quit in the first place & Remember how much strength it took to finally quit. Self Harming is like a drug, People who haven't gone through this won't understand because they don't see self harming as something addictive but it is... & That one time you try it again, You'll be hooked once again. So just remember why you quit & The person you are today because you quit.

You could - take a walk -listen to music - draw/paint something -dance -journal -call a friend -meet up with friends Or just do whatever makes you happy and distracts you from the urge.

My only advice every time I find someone who struggles with SH (like me) is that ART IS THE WEAPON. Art is the only weapon you need to fight yourself and win against this poisoned thoughts. Just make things, create something: Music, drawings, writings... whatever you do like to do! Art is the best way for express yourself while coping with your problems.

Staying clean from self-harm is a very, very hard thing to do. So to last that long is an incredible acheivement and you should definately be proud of that. But, of course, the struggle is still there. The best ways to keep your mind off it is to fill up your time each day with things you enjoy. The more you do, the less you'll think about it.

It's great that you've been clean for such a long time, but I can understand that it's hard sometimes. Mostly, it helps to keep busy and keep your life full, so that you can try to minimise the amount of time you are alone with your own thoughts. It helps to find another outlet too, like writing or drawing. A particularly popular method is to draw on one's skin whenever you feel the urge to self harm. It doesn't work for everyone, but it's a good stepping stone. Good luck!

you could talk to friends, or distract yourself by reading a book, or watching some tv or doing homework, anything works really, just keep yourself busy

When you feel like u are taking a step backwarda focus on the reason why u stopped in the first place . It may also help to talk to someone close and explain how you are feeling ao u are not alone and have someone to talk to when things get tough

I always say one day at a time. I find that support groups can be extremely helpful. Sometimes keeping it off your mind is less important than remembering why you decided to get clean in the first place. Keeping busy and active can also be very helpful. Building a routine that you enjoy allows structure in one's day. Talking about the things you are struggling with with someone else who has struggles with self harm can be very comforting, as well. Sharing your experience, strength, and hope with someone that may have less clean time than you can empower you and drive you to continue your journey of recovery.

Not exactly a way to keep your mind /off/ of it, but doing something which doesn't cause lasting harm helped me a lot - like eating a drop of hot sauce, or holding an ice cube. Congrats on the landmark & best of luck with your life :)

Take every day as it comes and remember how far you've come. Find activities you love to do and whenever you feel that way throw yourself into that activity and enjoy every second- it could be reading, gaming listening to music, absolutely anything. Take the focus away from whatever it is that is making you feel that way and just push through it. You've come this far, so you can go further.