Discussion: What Is Your Most Helpful Distraction Coping Method?

Self-harming can be a challenging experience for any person to go through, in their lives. One should know that they are certainly not alone in this particular challenge, as many individuals are also going through this specific condition.

What is your most helpful method to use, as a distraction technique?

IDEAS:

If you are feeling stressed, try:

- Hitting a punching bag

- Going for a vigorous walk or run

- Practice deep breathing

- Do something relaxing, such as taking a hot bath

If you feel numb, try:

- Use a red pen to mark where you usually hurt yourself

- Rub ice on your skin where you usually hurt yourself

- Submerge your face, arm, or leg in a bucket of ice water

- Put elastic bands on wrists, arms, or legs and flick them

If you desire to express your emotions, try:

- Journaling your emotions

- Writing negative emotions on a piece of paper and ripping it up

- Talking to a friend, although not necessarily about self-harming

- Creating artwork (you could integrate helpful alternative thoughts as a part of the artwork)

Also:

-5 minute rule. In this technique, if you feel like self-harming, you wait 5 minutes before you do. Once 5 minutes are up, you see if you can go another 5 minutes. In some cases, the urge will eventually pass