Nuria

Alternatives to Self Harm

What to do if you are...
...Angry, frustrated, restless?
- Slash an empty plastic bottle, piece of cardboard, old shirt or sock
- Flatten cans for recycling and see how many you can do
- Hit a punching bag
- Use a pillow to hit a wall like a pillow fight
- Rip up an old newspaper, magazine or phone book
- Sketch yourself and draw red marks where you want to hurt yourself
- Make a play doh sculpture and cut or smash it
- Throw ice against something hard enough to shatter it
- Break sticks
- Turn up the music and dance
- Go for a walk/ jog/ run
- Play some physical sport

... Sad, depressed, unhappy?
- Do something slow and soothing like taking a hot bath
- Smell something nice like incense or perfume
- Listen to soothing music
- Smooth some nice body lotion where you want to harm yourself
- Call or text a friend (I'm always here) and talk about things you like
- Visit a friend or a family member who you are close to

...Craving sensation, feel unreal?
- Squeeze ice cubes hard
- Put a finger on frozen food like ice cream
- Slap a tabletop hard
- Snap your wrist with a rubber band
- Take a cold bath
- Focus on how it feels to breathe and notice how your body moves

... Wanting to feel blood?
- Draw on yourself with red pen
- Draw on yourself using ice
- Paint yourself with beautiful colours or patterns

... Wanting to see scars or pick scabs?
- get a henna kit and pick it off then it will leave a red- orange mark

Other alternatives
- splatter paint
- write your feelings down on paper then rip or burn it
- run your hands under freezing cold water
- clap your hands until it stings
- splash your face with cold water
- bite into a hot pepper
- count ceiling tiles or lights
- play a musical instrument
- doodle
- write lyrics to your favourite song(s)
- browse eBay
- memorise a poem that has meaning
- learn to swear in another language
- go outside and watch the clouds go by
- reorganise your room
- cuddle a toy or a pillow
- watch a favourite TV show or movie
- eat something that is really sweet
- remember happy moments and relive them in your head
- look at things that are special to you
- let yourself cry
- meditate
- yoga
- YouTube funny videos
- make a notebook full of song lyrics that you relate to
- create a safe place and take yourself there

My little Nuria you don't deserve to hurt yourself and I want you to repeat that to yourself every day until the day you believe it. I promise that will be one day I love you loads and I am sending big cuddles your way as per usual.