What can I do instead of self harm?

. Exercise. 2. Put on fake tattoos. 3. Draw on yourself with washable red marker-then take a shower and wash away your pain. 4. Scribble on sheets of paper. 5. Write poetry. 6. Cuddle with a stuffed toy. 7. Be with other people. 8. Watch a favorite TV show. 9. Post on web boards or try answering other people's posts. 10, Think about how "I DON'T WANT SCARS FOR SUMMER!!" 11. Paint your nails a new color. 12. Go out to see a movie. 13. Eating something you can't resist. 14. Do your school work. 15. Write a letter to someone but never send it. 16. Go into chat rooms to talk. 17. Call a friend and ask them to come hang out. 18. Play a musical instrument. 19. Sing. 20. Look up at the sky, and find the moon. Study it. 21. Make your own list of things to do instead of S.I. 22. Buy a punching bag (with gloves. Name it. Then, have a visit with Bob when you need to. 23. Snap a rubber band (hair band) on your wrist. 24. Cover yourself with band-aids where you want to cut. 25. Go to the zoo and rename the animals. 26. Let yourself cry, even if it is hard. 27. Sleep, only if you are tired. 28. Do the exact opposite of what you really want to do. 29. Play with a pet. 30. Smile to at least 5 people. 31. Re-organize and lable your linen closet. 32. Go out and perform one act of kindness. 33. Have a pillow fight with a wall. 34. Knit a scarf. 35. Read a good book. 36. Dress up very glamorous, with makeup to match. 37. Color your hair. 38. Listen to music (nontriggering) 39. Watch a candle burn, but no playing with flames or hot wax. Blow it out when you leave the room. 40. Find someone else you can help. Do volunteer work. 41. Meditate. Track your breathing. 42. Call up an old friend and catch up. 43. Work on a website or start a new one. 44. Have a vivid fantasy love affair with a celebrity. 45. Go somewhere very public. 46. Bake cookies or another favorite food you like. 47. Alphabetize your CD's. 48. Chew gum. 49. Buy a henna tattoo kit. 50. Paint or draw. 51. Rip paper into really small pieces. 52. Give someone a Hug. 53. Write a letters or emails. 54. Talk to yourself, and put it on tape. 55. Hug a pillow. 56. Hyper-focus on something like a rock. 57. Fingerpaint. 58. Scream as loud as you want. 59. Dance. 60. Make hot chocolate. 61. Pop bubble wrap. 62. Play with play dough. 63. Count to 100. 64. Build a pillow fort. 65. Blow up a balloon and pop it. 66. Hug yourself. 67. Write yourself an "I love myself because" letter and keep it. Read it when you feel down. 68. Read things in a different language. 69. Go for a nice long drive, walk, or jog. 70. Complete something you have been putting off. 71. Drink a cup of herbal tea. 72. Fold paper and invent a new origomi shape. 73. Write your memoirs. 74. Build something. 75. Take up archery. 76. Go rock climbing. 77. Take up a new hobby you always dreamed of. 78. Organize bills, receipts, etc. 79. Cook a meal. 80. Go out for ice cream. 81. Buy a stuffed animal. 82. Look at pretty things-like flowers or art work. 83. Create something. 84. Pray or read the Bible. 85. Throw socks against the wall. 86. Make a list of blessings in your life. 87. Go to a friend's house and open up. 88. Take up fencing. 89. Watch an old comedy movie. 90. Call your therapist or make an appointment with one. 91. Talk to someone close to you that you trust. 92. Throw a temper tantrum. 93. Ride a bicycle. 94. Polish silver or jewelry. 95, Start a garden or water your house plants. 96. Re-arrange a room. 97. Feed the ducks, birds, or squirrels. 98. Draw on the walls-or paint with watercolors if you don't want permanence. 99. Play with face paint. 100. Play jacks or pick up sticks. 101. Color with crayons. 102. Memorize a song and sing it. Then, reflect on it's message. 103. Put on boots and stomp. 104. Stretch. 105. Find a butterfly and catch it. 106. Watch fish. 107. Come up with baby names even if you aren't expecting. 108. Go to a public place and people watch. 109. Make a CD of your favorite songs. 110. Name all of your stuffed animals. 111. Go shopping. 112. Get into your PJ's and just veg. 113. Buy cheap teddy bears and take your anger out on them 114. Throw everything on the ground except glass. 115. Go to a loud concert (Make sure it doen't trigger you) 116. Think about your ideal life. What do you have to do to get there? 117. Plan your someday wedding day or upcoming prom. 118. Hunt for stuff on Ebay. 119. Alphabetize your books and magazines. 120. Hunt for your perfect home in the paper or online. 121. Take up Tai Chi. 122. Try to make as many words as possible out of your full name. 123. Count ceiling tiles or lights. 124. Go to the grocery store and buy yourself some flowers. 125. Search for ridiculous things on the web. 126. Google youself. 127. Color co-oridinate your wardrobe. 128. Do a home tan on yourself. 129. Take a hot bath and "be" in the moment. 130. Sort all you photographs. 131. Give yourself a pedicure. 132. Color or scribble over pretty women in magazines. 133. Plan a dinner party with menus and guest list, then carry it out. 134. Go through all your old stuff, and donate to Good Will. 135. Take a walk in the woods and breathe the fresh air. 136. Start a mood journal and write in it every day. Do patterns surface? Track your triggers. 137. Buy yourself some toys and play like you are 5 years old again! 138. Start to collect some thing. 139. Take up kick-boxing. 140. Read a magazine or newspaper. 141. Sew something. 142. Buy a stuffed animal. 143. Take your own dog, or a friend's dog for a walk. 144. Call 1-800-DONT CUT 145. Call 1-800-THERAPIST 146. Read through this list again.

I love art, so I would take some Crayola markers and color on my arm or leg (wherever I wanted to self-harm). I ended up spending hours creating these beautiful designs, and by the time I was done with it, I didn't feel the need to self-harm anymore. Plus, it was like the gift that kept on giving, because the design would stay on for awhile, and I wouldn't want to mess up that beautiful design with a cut. It really helped me through many rough times.

DISTRACTIONS are a great places to start: walk, run, cook, draw, watch netflix, read, rip up recycling, draw on yourself, hold ice cubes, ... GROUNDING TECHNIQUES are good to calm down: count to 100, describe your environment, repeat a safety phrase like "i am in the present, i am safe"... EXPRESSING YOURSELF is also helpful: journal, draw, paint, sing, write poetry, talk to a friend, talk on 7Cups, call a hotline.... BREATHING: just notice your breathing and don't change it, count your breaths, practice deep breathing, MINDFULNESS and VISUALIZATION are also great to learn, you can also WAIT and play the 15 minute game where you agree with yourself to not harm int he next 15 minutes and at the 15 minute mark to reevaluate whether you will not harm, will harm or will wait 15 more minutes. You can also practice SELF SOOTHING. There are many many options. It just takes time, experimentation, and practice to begin to find and be able to use healthy coping skills that work for you.

I've ben told that drawing on yourself whenever you feel the need to self harm is a good ay to avoid it. Try it!

Self-harm is a form of displacing the pain inside you to the physical pain. That's why you can feel released / relax after you harm your self. One way you can do instead is by talking to someone every time you have the urge to self-harm. 7 Cups of Tea is a good place to find that someone, and the listeners here are available 24/7.

Instead of self harming you can try distracting yourself with things such as listening to music, watching movies, putting ice where you want to cut, writing someone you care abouts name on where you would like to cut or painting your nails if you're female

I used to self harm a lot, I started coloring (this may sound childish) and I started using music as a way out, I started drawing and using my days reading a etc. I stopped self harming, sometimes I still use self harm if I get too overwhelmed, I know I shouldn't, but I'm getting through it.

I always found holding ice cubes to my skin helped to relieve my urge to self harm. Other things that have helped me include scribbling on myself in red pen, painting my nails or having a relaxing bath.

Instead of harming yourself (in any way) you can draw a butterfly on the place you want to harm yourself and give it a name of a person who's important to you and let that person know (if this person is aware of your situation and if you're comfortable with it ofcourse) that it is there. When you want to hurt yourself you have to think about that someone cares about you and if you do harm yourself you kill the butterfly. This is called the butterfly project and it has helped me a lot in the past. It is more effective when you let the person know about the butterfly then when it's just for yourself.

Snap a rubber band around your wrist, draw on yourself with sharpie/draw pretend wounds where you want to cut, when you want to cut, go outside and distract yourself, or pick up a hobby, blast music, take a hot or cold shower. Not luke warm and take your time, pluck your brows, have a pillow fight with the wall/punch pillow, use stress relievers, break sticks, scream (it can be into your pillow) scream until the pain/urges go away, draw, write your feelings down, tear apart papers, hold ice against where you want to cut, massage where you feel like harming yourself, run your hands under cold water, go for a run, go outside and take a few deep breaths, describe 10 things you can touch, see and smell and more.