Self-help for Self-harm

Some ideas for things to do instead of self-harming

(Many are borrowed from the booklet "Self-injury: Beyond the Myths" published for the National Self-Injury Awareness Day, others are from Dr Mike Smith of Crazydiamond)

  • Bite into a hot pepper
  • Break sticks
  • Chew a piece of ginger
  • Choose a random object & list 30 different uses for it
  • Clean out a junk drawer
  • Clean your room
  • Climb a tree
  • Count all your change
  • Create a secret code
  • Create a website
  • Crush aluminium cans
  • Cut your hair
  • Dig the garden
  • Do EFT (tapping acupressure points)
  • Do the laundry
  • Draw a picture
  • Draw on the place you want to cut with a red pen
  • Draw your own comic
  • Dye your hair
  • Finger paint
  • Give yourself a henna tattoo
  • Go for a walk
  • Go through & give away your old clothes
  • Have a rant
  • Hit a punchbag
  • Learn a martial art
  • Look for pictures in the clouds
  • Look at stars
  • Make a collage
  • Make a wish list
  • Make your out-breath longer than your in-breath
  • Meditate
  • Origami
  • Paint a wall
  • Paint your nails
  • Play a drum
  • Play music loud
  • Put your finger in a tub of frozen food
  • Prune a shrub
  • Re-arrange your room
  • Rip up a cardboard box
  • Rip up an old T-shirt
  • Scream as loud as you can
  • Shred some old documents
  • Slash an empty plastic fizzy drink bottle
  • Smash a watermelon
  • Snap your wrist with a rubber band
  • Squeeze a stress ball
  • Squeeze ice hard
  • Stomp around in heavy shoes
  • Stroke a dog/cat
  • Swing on a swing
  • Take a bubble bath
  • Take photographs
  • Throw a cushion at the wall
  • Weed the garden
  • Watch birds
  • Watch fish swim around in a fishtank
  • Watch your favourite comedy
  • Write a letter
  • Write a list of your achievements
  • Write a list of things you are grateful for
  • Write a poem
  • Write a story

If you have your own suggestions or ideas to add to this list, please do get in touch through the Contact page.