What can i do instead of hurting myself?

So many things! You could talk to someone about how you feel, and admit what's going on in your life. You could visit some distraction websites, like thisissand (thisissand.com/) You could listen to a deep breathing or relaxation podcast, like this one (www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUzj4o9VjnE) You could buy some henna and make your arms and legs into a masterpiece You could watch a TV show or film that you loved as a kid, my advice would be a classic Disney film You could do some baking, and then you'll have cake to eat as well! You could get lost watching cat videos on Youtube You could take a while just to breathe And most importantly, you can remember that you deserve to be happy, that you deserve to smile, and that you are so so loved, even if you can't see it yet for yourself.

You could try and understand why you feel you want to hurt yourself so you can work towards dealing with your feelings in a positive way.

The best distraction I can find is to do something that takes your entire mental focus. This could be videogames, writing, working out, or anything that takes a lot of concentration. Note, this depends on your reason for self-harming. If your motivation is to calm your thoughts, this should work. If your motivation is to "feel something", this may be less effective, but it's still worth a try.

There are so many alternatives for self-harm! Anything you enjoy, really! Take a bath, go for a walk, read a book, cook your favorite food, reach out to a trusted person, etc. Here are some resources that may help: http://www.teenhelp.org/forums/f12-self-harm/t9418-alternatives-self-harm/ http://www.adolescentselfinjuryfoundation.com/page11 http://www.thesite.org/mental-health/self-harm/self-harm-coping-tips-and-distractions-5696.html

Do anything that keeps your kind off things. Do anything that your interested in. Watch TV, find a new show to get into, make a tumblr, talk to friends, blow bubbles, cook something, think of the positive in your life, listen to music, read a book, create something, do any form of art (google ideas or use pinterest), make new friends, sing, go swimming, pet a dog, paint your nails, try on a bunch of clothes, work on some school work, remember why you've held on so long, think of how awesome it is that life is possible, talk to someone about your feelings, write down your feelings and destroy the paper so no one will see it, make your own alternatives list, smile at strangers, make a stranger happy, hugs, do volunteer work, meditate, dance, do something that you've been putting off, clean something, rearrange your room, stay away from negative people, draw on yourself wherever you want cut (with a marker, so you wont get hurt), remember that I care about you, talk to someone on 7Cups, origami, find a new hobby, feed the animals, play a board game, play a game with friends online, name all of your stuffed animals, try to make as many words possible out of your name, write in a journal to keep track of your memories and see if anything tends to trigger you, play with toys (age does not matter when one is playing with a ninja turtle toy), pet animals, go to the animal shelter, animals, play a sport (even if you are not good at it, just have fun), google stuff (but nothing triggering), squeeze a stress ball, figure out why you feel the way you do, make a bucket list, get rid of anything that makes you want to hurt yourself, make sure you have eaten today, take a shower, call a hotline (google numbers and find one that looks right for you), blog, think of how you don't want to have scars the rest of your life, think of everyone that you are hurting, pet animals, play with play dough, google other things to do. Please know that you wont recover from self-harm immediately. It's difficult to overcome, but you can do it. I believe in you. Also, not all of these alternatives will work for you. You have to find one that works best for you. I tried many things to overcome self-harm. It takes time. What helped me the most was thinking of how silly it is to hurt myself on the outside because I'm hurting on the inside. I would walk away and spend some time on the internet. Plus petting animals and blowing bubbles was very helpful. I hope you are able to overcome this quickly. Best of luck and stay strong, darling.

You can do things that you enjoy doing that can be distracting. I would suggest listening to music, drawing, coloring, playing an instrument, watching funny videos, watching your favorite tv show, or watching a movie. It all depends on what you prefer to do and like to do! :)

The best answer to this is: anything that will distract you. The technical term for this is called a "flow activity," which essentially is any activity you can lose yourself in, since this will cause you to shift your attention elsewhere. A flow activity should have the right amount of challenge and simplicity (a balance between the two); too much challenge will overwhelm your senses, and too much simplicity will bore you.

Here is a site where you can fing more than 100 things to do instead of self harm: http://www.adolescentselfinjuryfoundation.com/page11

As you know, we are not allowed to give advice; although I would recommend that you were to attempt in distracting yourself whenever the urge seems to overwhelm you. Some great techniques are imagery, deep belly breathing, muscle relaxation, and also try to do distract yourself through things you enjoy. For example: it might be music, art, writing etc. (you are the expert on you). You could even research some ideas if it interests you, the internet is full of great methods and techniques.

First of all it is brilliant that you are wanting to find another coping method instead of self harm. There are many ways in which you can do this: try doing things more symbolically if you ever get the urge to self harm. For example, if you harm yourself by punching a wall, opt for a pillow instead, something soft. If you cut, do it symbolically with a pen, just mark your skin. There are many coping methods available on this website to help prevent you from self harming. After that, find time for yourself during the day in which you can relieve yourself, listening to videos and practicing breathing exercises can often really help. Maybe going for some exercise, writing your feelings down in a diary, or talking to friends about your feelings. Even coming onto this website to speak to a listener on a regular basis may help you. I wish you the best of luck with everything :)