YOU'RE NOT ALONE

Alternatives for when you're feeling angry or restless ( Part 2 )

Play with toys, such as a slinky Go to the park and play on the swings Call up an old friend Go "people watching" Carry safe, rather than sharp, things in your pockets Do schoolwork Play a musical instrument Watch TV or a movie Paint your nails Alphabetize your CDs or books Cook Make origami to occupy your hands Doodle on sheets of paper Dress up or try on old clothes Play computer games or painting programs, such as photoshop Write out lyrics to your favorite song Play a sport Read a book/magazine Do a crossword Draw a comic strip Make a chain link out of paper counting the hours or days you've been self-harm free using pretty colored paper Knit, sew, or make a necklace Make 'scobies' - braid pieces of plastic or lace, to keep your hands busy Buy a plant and take care of it Hunt for things on eBay or Amazon Browse the forums Go shopping Memorize a poem with meaning Learn to swear in another language Look up words in a dictionary Play hide-and-seek with your siblings Go outside and watch the clouds roll by Plan a party Find out if any concerts will be in your area Make your own dance routine Trace your hand on a piece of paper; on your thumb, write something you like to look at; on your index finger, write something you like to touch; on your middle finger, write your favorite scent; on your ring finger, write something you like the taste of; on your pinky finger, write something you like to listen to; on your palm, write something you like about yourself Plan regular activities for your most difficult time of day Finish homework before it's due Take a break from mental processing Notice black and white thinking Get out on your own, get away from the stress Go on YouTube Make a scrapbook Color in a picture or coloring book. Make a phone list of people you can call for support. Allow yourself to use it. Pay attention to your breathing (breath slowly, in through your nose and out through your mouth) Pay attention to the rhythmic motions of your body (walking, stretching, etc.) Learn HALT signals (hungry, angry, lonely, tired) 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 - alternatively, pick something to research and then keep clicking on links, trying to get as far away from the original topic as you can. Take a small step towards a goal you have. Re-organize your room Name all of your soft toys Play the A-Z game (Pick a category ie. Animals, and think of an animal for every letter of the alphabet Have a lush warm bubble bath with candles! Do some knitting Do some household chores

Alternatives that are completely bizarre. At the least, you'll have a laugh:

Crawl on all fours and bark like a dog or another animal Run around outside screaming Laugh for no reason whatsoever Make funny faces in a mirror Without turning orange, self tan Pluck your eyebrows Put faces on apples, oranges, or other sorts of food Go to the zoo and name all of the animals Color on the walls Blow bubbles Pull weeds in the garden