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153 Things To Do


Hayz

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Here is a list of 153 Positive things you could do when you feel the urge of cutting that I found on another website and wanted to share.

1. Exercise

2. Putting on fake tattoos

3. Drawing on yourself in red marker (make sure it's washable!)

4. Scribbling on sheets an sheets of paper

5. Writing (poetry, stories, journal, etc.)

6. Cuddling with a stuffed toy

7. Being with other people

8. Watching a favorite TV show (preferably a comedy)

9. Posting on web boards, and answering others' posts

10. Thinking about how I DON'T want scars for the summer

11. Painting your nails

12. Going to see a movie

13. Eating something ridiculously sweet (or any favorite food)

14. Doing school work

15. Surf the net

16. Go into chat rooms to talk

17. Call a friend and ask for company

18. Playing a musical instrument

19. Singing

20. Looking up at the sky (night is especially beautiful) .

21. Redo this list.

22. Punching a punching bag (with gloves on)

23. Shoot rubberbands across the room.

24. Cover yourself with band-aids where you want to cut

25. Mix warm water and red food coloring, and put in on your skin (feels and looks like blood)

26. Letting yourself cry (can be very difficult for some)

27. Sleep (only if you are tired)

28. A hot shower, or relaxing bath (no razors in the tub, though)

29. Play with a pet

30. Detangling yarn or necklaces

31. Re-organizing your room

32. Cleaning

33. Having a pillowfight with the wall (yes, neighbors may think you are crazy, but that's ok)

34. Knitting or sewing

35. Reading a good book

36. Dressing up very glamorous (make sure no one can walk in on you, though)

37. Coloring my hair

38. Listening to music (try yo use calm music)

39. Watching a candle burn (no playing with the flames!)

40. Finding someone else you can help out

41. Meditate

42. Watching a scary (but not bloody, but if bloody movies help, than watch a bloody one) movie.

43. Work on a website

44. Have a vivid fantasy love affair with a celebrity

45. Go somewhere very public

46. Bake

47. Alphabetize your CD's

48. Chewing leather (especially if you SI by biting)

49. Buy a home Henna tatoo kit (peels off the next day-similar to skin picking)

50. Painting or drawing

51. Ripping paper into itty-bitty pieces

52. Hugs-(this one is very nice...)

53. Writting letters or email

54. Talk to yourself (or if that feels weird, buy a small tape recorder-I then feel like someone is listening)

55. Stroke nice fabrics

56. Hug a pillow

57. Hyperfocus on something like a rock, hand, etc.

58. fingerprint

59. Scream real loud (make sure no one is home!)

60. Dance

61. Make hot chocolate (mmmmm....)

62. pop bubble wrap

63. play with modelling clay or Play-Dough

64. count to one hundred

65. Build a pillow fort

66. pop balloons

67. Hug yourself

69. Reading things in a different language

70. Going for a nice, long drive

71. Complete something you've been putting off

72. Drinking absurd amounts of tea

73. Breaking plastic plates

74. Tearing up socks

75. Throwing socks against the wall

76. Archery

77. Rock climbing

78. Take up a new hobby

79. Organize bills and such

80. Cook a meal

81. Go out for ice cream

82. Buy a stuffed animal <o:p></o:p>

83. Look at pretty things-like flowers or artwork

84. Create Something

85. Pray

86. Randomly wave at people

87. Make a list of blessings in your life

88. Read the Bible

89. Go to a friend's house

90. Take up fencing

91. Watch an old, happy movie

92. Call a Help hotline or your Therapist

93. Talk to someone close to you that knows

94. Throw a temper-tantrum

95. Hit things-other than yourself

96. Ride a bicycle.

97. Polish silver or jewelry.

98. Gardening or watering house plants

99. Memorizing poetry

100. CHOCOLATE!!!!!!!

101. Feed the ducks or birds or squirrels, etc.

102. Draw on the walls

103. Play with facepaint

104. Do very Glamerous make-up

105. Colour with crayons

106. Memorise a novel or play or song

107. Put on boots and STAMP

108. Stretch

109. Find butterflies

110. Watch fish

111. Come up with baby names (even if you're not pregnant)

112. Make mashed potatoes

113. Make a tape of your favorite songs

114. Name all of your stuffed animals

115. Go shopping

116. Get into PJ's and just veg.

117. Buy cheap teddy bears and take out anger on them instead of self.

118. Throw everything (except glass) into the centrer

119. Go to a loud concert

120. Play the 15 minute game (say you can't cut for 15 minutes, and when the time is up, start again)

121. Plan your wedding / prom

122. Hunt for stuff on Ebay (you can find ANYTHING there)

123. Alphabetize your books

124. Hunt for your perfect home in the paper

125. Take up Tai Chi

126. Try to make as many words out of your full name as possible, then do your friends names)

127. count ceiling tiles/lights

129. search ridiculous things on the web

130. color-co-ordinate your wardrobe

131. do a home tan on yourself

132. sort all your photographs

133. color (or scribble) over the pretty women in magazines

134. plan a dinner party

135. play with a slinky

136. but yourself some toys and play

137. start collecting something

138. get a tattoo / piercing

139. play video/computer games

140. do a trash clean at your local park

141. Play on a swingset

142. go out and perform a random act of kindness for someone

143. call up an old friend

144. write yourself an "I love you because" letter

145. put on fake nails

146. try to build something

147. re-arrange your house

148. go to a public place and people watch

149. go through all your old stuff

150. go bargain - hunting

151. smile at least five people (you usually end up smiling genuinely yourself.)

152. go to the zoo and rename all the animals.

153. go for a peaceful walk.

154. Love you.<o:p></o:p>

Here is another list

1. Excercise, running, etc.

2. Putting on fake tatoos

3. Drawing on yourself in red marker (make sure it's washable)

4. Scribbling on sheets of paper

5. Writing poetry

6. Cuddling with a stuffed toy

7. Being with other people

8. Watching a favorite TV show (preferably a comedy)

9. Posting on web boards/answering other people's posts

10. Thinking about how I DON'T WANT SCARS FOR SUMMER!!

11. Painting your nails

12. Going to see a movie

13. Eating something you can't resist!

14. Doing school work

15. Writing letter to someone but never actulley giving it to them

16. Go into chat rooms & talk

17. Call a friend & ask them to come hang out

18. Playing a musical instrument

19. Sing

20. Look up at the sky (at night is especially cool)

21. Making up your own list of things to do instead of S.I.

22. Punching a punching bag (with gloves on of coarse)

23. Snapping rubberband or hairband on your wrist

24. Cover yourself with band-aids where you want to cut

25. Go to the zoo and rename all the animals

26. Letting yourself cry (even though it can be very difficult for some)

27. Sleep (only if you are tired)

28. A hot or cold shower (changing the temperature of your environment will lots of times help you get your mind off of stuff and de-stress you)

29. Play with a pet

30. Smile at atleast five people (you usually end up smiling genuinly yourself)

31. Re-organize or clean your room or house

32. Go out and preform one random act of kindness

33. Having a pillowfight with the wall

34. Knitting or sewing

35. Reading a good book (but not a triggering one)

36. Dress up very glamouous

37. Color your hair

38. Listen to music (keep in mind that angry music can be triggering to some people)

39. Watching a candle burn (no playing with the flames please)

40. Finding someone else you can help out

41. Meditation

42. Call up an old friend

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. Alphabatize your CD's

48. Chewing leather (especially if you SI by biting)

49. Buy a hoe henna tatoo kit

50. Painting or drawing

51. Ripping paper into itty-bitty pieces

52. Hugs-(this one is my favorite)

53. writting letters or email

54. Talk to yourself (if it feels too weird, buy a small tape recorder)

55. Hug a pillow

56. Hyperfocus on something like a rock or the floor

57. Fingerpaint

59. Scream as loud as you want

60. Dance

61. Make Hot Chocolate!!

62. pop bubble wrap

63. Play with modelling clay or playdough

64. Count to 100

65. Build a pillow fort

66. Pop balloons'

67. Hug yourself

68. Write yourself an "I love me because" letter to yourself

69. Reading things in a different language

70. Going for a nice, long drive--if you don'e drive, take a walk or jog

71. Complete something you've been putting off

72. Drinking absurd amounts of tea

73. fold paper and invent a new oragami shape

74. Tearing up socks

75. build something

76. Archery

77. Rock climbing

78. Take up a new hobby you've always dreamed about

79. organize bills, recipets, etc.

80. Cook a meal

81. Go out for ice-cream81. Go out for ice-cream

82. Buy a stuffed animal

83. Look at pretty things-like flowers or artwork

84. Create soemthing

85. Pray

86. Throw socks against the wall

87. Make a list of blessings in your life88. Read the bible

89. Go to a friend's house

90. Take up fencing

91. Watch an old comdey movie

92. Call your therapist or make an appointment with one

93. Talk to someone close to you that you trust

94. Throw a temper-tantrum

95. Tide a bicycle

96. Polish silver or jewellery

97. Gardening or water house plants

98. Re-arrange your house or room

99. Feed the ducks, birds or squirrells

100. Draw on the walls--pait the walls with water colors if you don't want anything permanant.

101. Play with facepaint

102. Do very glamerous make-up

103. Color with crayons

104. Memorize a novel, play or song

105. Put on boots and stomp!

106. Strech

107. Find butterflies and catch them

108. Watch fish

109. Come up with baby names even if you aren't expecting

110. Go to a public place and people watch

111. Make a tape or CD of your favorite songs

112. Name all of your stuffed animals

113. Go shopping

114. Get into your PJ's and just veg.

115. Buy cheap teddy bears and take out anger on them

116. Throw everything onto the ground--except glass

117. Go to a loud concert--angry music is triggering to some

118. Play the 15 minute game (say you can't cut for 15 minutes, when the time is up, start all over again)

119. Plan your someday wedding or upcoming prom

120. Hunt for stuff on Ebay

121. Alphabetize your books and magazines

122. Hunt for your perfect home in the paper or online

123. Take up Tai Chi

124. Try to make as many words as possibble out of your full name

125. Count ceiling tiles or lights

126. Go clubbing

127. Search for ridiculous things on the web

128. Color-co-ordinate your wardrobe

129. Do a home tan on yourself

130. Sort all your photographs

131. Color or scribble over pretty women in magazines

132. Plan a dinner party

133. Go through all of your old stuff

134. Buy yourself some toys and play like your 8 again!

135. Start collecting something

136. Buy a stuffed animal

137. Call 1-800-DONT-CUT

And some more advice

One way to increase the chances of a distraction/substitution helping calm the urge to harm is to match what you do to how you are feeling at the moment.

First, take a few moments and look behind the urge. What are you feeling? Are you angry? Frustrated? Restless? Sad? Craving the feeling of SI? Depersonalized and unreal or numb? Unfocused?

Next, match the activity to the feeling. A few examples:

angry, frustrated, restless

Try something physical and violent, something not directed at a living thing:

Slash an empty plastic soda bottle or a piece of heavy cardboard or an old shirt or sock.

Make a soft cloth doll to represent the things you are angry at. Cut and tear it instead of yourself.

Flatten aluminum cans for recycling, seeing how fast you can go.

Hit a punching bag.

Use a pillow to hit a wall, pillow-fight style.

Rip up an old newspaper or phone book.

On a sketch or photo of yourself, mark in red ink what you want to do. Cut and tear the picture.

Make Play-Doh or Sculpey or other clay models and cut or smash them.

Throw ice into the bathtub or against a brick wall hard enough to shatter it.

Break sticks.

I've found that these things work even better if I rant at the thing I am cutting/tearing/hitting. I start out slowly, explaining why I am hurt and angry, but sometimes end up swearing and crying and yelling. It helps a lot to vent like that.

Crank up the music and dance.

Clean your room (or your whole house).

Go for a walk/jog/run.

Stomp around in heavy shoes.

Play handball or tennis.

sad, soft, melancholy, depressed, unhappy

Do something slow and soothing, like taking a hot bath with bath oil or bubbles, curling up under a comforter with hot cocoa and a good book, babying yourself somehow. Do whatever makes you feel taken care of and comforted. Light sweet-smelling incense. Listen to soothing music. Smooth nice body lotion into the parts or yourself you want to hurt. Call a friend and just talk about things that you like. Make a tray of special treats and tuck yourself into bed with it and watch TV or read. Visit a friend.

craving sensation, feeling depersonalized, dissociating, feeling unreal

Do something that creates a sharp physical sensation:

Squeeze ice hard (this really hurts). (Note: putting ice on a spot you want to burn gives you a strong painful sensation and leaves a red mark afterward, kind of like burning would.)

Put a finger into a frozen food (like ice cream) for a minute.

Bite into a hot pepper or chew a piece of ginger root.

Rub liniment under your nose.

Slap a tabletop hard.

Snap your wrist with a rubber band.

Take a cold bath.

Stomp your feet on the ground.

Focus on how it feels to breathe. Notice the way your chest and stomach move with each breath.

[NOTE: Some people report that being online while dissociating increases their sense of unreality; be cautious about logging on in a dissociative state until you know how it affects you.]

wanting focus

Do a task (a computer game like tetris or minesweeper, writing a computer program, needlework, etc) that is exacting and requires focus and concentration.

Eat a raisin mindfully. Pick it up, noticing how it feels in your hand. Look at it carefully; see the asymmetries and think about the changes the grape went through. Roll the raisin in your fingers and notice the texture; try to describe it. Bring the raisin up to your mouth, paying attention to how it feels to move your hand that way. Smell the raisin; what does it remind you of? How does a raisin smell? Notice that you're beginning to salivate, and see how that feels. Open your mouth and put the raisin in, taking time to think about how the raisin feels to your tongue. Chew slowly, noticing how the texture and even the taste of the raisin change as you chew it. Are there little seeds or stems? How is the inside different from the outside? Finally, swallow.

Choose an object in the room. Examine it carefully and then write as detailed a description of it as you can. Include everything: size, weight, texture, shape, color, possible uses, feel, etc.

Choose a random object, like a paper clip, and try to list 30 different uses for it.

Pick a subject and research it on the web.

wanting to see blood

Draw on yourself with a red felt-tip pen.

Take a small bottle of liquid red food coloring and warm it slightly by dropping it into a cup of hot water for a few minutes. Uncap the bottle and press its tip against the place you want to cut. Draw the bottle in a cutting motion while squeezing it slightly to let the food color trickle out.

Draw on the areas you want to cut using ice that you've made by dropping six or seven drops of red food color into each of the ice-cube tray wells.

Paint yourself with red tempera paint.

wanting to see scars or pick scabs

Get a henna tattoo kit. You put the henna on as a paste and leave it overnight; the next day you can pick it off as you would a scab and it leaves an orange-red mark behind.

Another thing that helps sometimes is the fifteen-minute game. Tell yourself that if you still want to harm yourself in 15 minutes, you can. When the time is up, see if you can go another 15.

source Self Injury http://www.palace.ne...ych/injury.html

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Thank you very much for that Hayz, it includes so many things I had never even thought to do to distract myself when feeling bad, I will deffinetly be keeping this list. xxx

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  • 2 weeks later...

never noticed this pinned up there!

But now i have no excuse - i've printed out 6 copies of it, stuck one inside the door of the bathroom cabinet, one on each wall in my room, and one downstairs in the messroom...all the places i tend to go to 'hide'.

So thankyou!

xxx

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