Positivity, self love, running love

Distraction

Conversation 

Listen to talk radio

Read

Puzzles

TV

Computer games

Jigsaws

Solve a problem

Make a list

Learn something new

Clean/tidy

Gardening

Arts & Crafts

Music

Distracting websites

Animated sea animals

Play with Sand 

Weavesilk 

Pros of Distraction 

Gives your heart and mind a break

Great for short term relief 

Great to get through a crisis 

Cons of Distraction

Can’t do it for too long

Doesn’t resolve any underlying issues

Meds can make it harder to concentrate 

Grounding

Use body & senses

Smell fragrances 

Slowly taste food

Notice the colors around you

Walk on grass barefoot

Squeeze clay or mud

Do yoga

Meditate 

Exercise 

Remind yourself of your name, age, location, and what you’re doing there

Pros of Grounding

Helps slow or stop “Dissociation” (feeling numb, floaty, or disconnected)

Reduced physicality of anxiety

Cons of Grounding

Sometimes it’s better to stay  bit dissociated (that’s how your mind protects you)

Emotional Release

Yell

Scream

Run

Take a cold shower

Let yourself cry

Put on a funny video or DVD

Let yourself laugh

Try boxing 

Pop balloons 

Crank up some music and dance your heart out

Pros of Emotional Release

Great for anger and fear

Releases the pressure of overwhelming emotion

Cons of Emotional Release

Hard to do in every situation

Feels odd

Some people might think you’re acting “crazier”

You have to be selective of when/where you do this

Self Love

Massage hands with nice cream

Manicure your nails 

Cook a special meal

Clean your house (or just make your bed)

Take a bubble bath or long shower

Brush your hair

Buy yourself a small treat

Pros of Self Love

You can become your own best friend, and your own support worker

Great for guilt or shame

You deserve it!

Cons of Self Love

Sometimes it can feel really hard to do

Sometimes it feels superficial (but its not)

Thought Challenge 

Write down all your negative thoughts, then list all the reasons they might not be true

Imagine if someone you love had these thoughts, write what you would say to them

Try to replace negative thoughts with more constructive thoughts (instead of criticizing yourself make it constructive)

Pros of Thought Challenge

Can help shift long-term negative thinking habits

Trying to be more logical can reduce extreme emotion

Cons of Thought Challenge 

The more emotional you feel, the more difficult it is to do this

In particular, feelings of shame can make this very hard

Access your Higher Self

Help someone else

You can volunteer to listen to others on 7cups

Smile at strangers

See how many smiles you get back

Pray

Volunteer 

Do random acts of kindness for others

Pet dogs at local parks

Join a cause

Pros of Accessing your Higher Self 

It reminds us that everyone has value and purpose that can be found in small things as well as large things

Helping other people helps you, too 

Cons of Accessing your Higher Self 

It is not my fault.

Nothing I did justifies or makes me deserve what has happened to me.

Talking to others about what I’ve been through and how I feel really helps.

The vicious voice in my head isn’t the voice of reason, it’s the voice of doubt.

Self-love and self-care isn’t selfish or narcissistic, it’s necessary.

Realizing I have a problem doesn’t mean I don’t have a problem. It’s called mindfulness and self-awareness.

I can’t “just calm down” or “just be happy” because that’s not how it works.

What I went through was real, and traumatizing, and preventable.

It is not my fault.

I am good enough.