Strategies & Tips - Self-harm


Get Your Heart Rate Up

Try doing some kind of vigorous exercise that gets you breathing hard and sweating. Running, biking up hill, pushups and weights are all great options and can help relieve some of the tension or emotion that you’re feeling.

Express It

Finding a practical way to express emotions can be really helpful for some people. You could try something creative like drawing, painting or playing an instrument.

Tell Someone

Reaching out to someone when you are feeling the urge to self-harm can be a massive help. You don’t have to tell them about your urges if you feel uncomfortable, but even just talking about your emotions can help reduce their intensity.

Understand It

Try keeping a diary of your reasons and triggers for self-harming. Try writing down your thoughts and feelings at the time as well as any events or situations that may have prompted you to feel that way. This will help you to know your triggers so you can avoid or manage them in the future.

Ride It Out

Just like a wave, urges to self-harm often start out small and then increase in intensity. It can be helpful to remind yourself that the feelings will pass, you won’t stay at the top of the wave forever. Try using some of the strategies you see here to shift your focus and help you to “ride the wave”.

Take 15

When you feel the urge to self-harm, challenge yourself to wait 15 minutes and try some of the other strategies mentioned here. Delaying self-harm can give you time and space to let the intense feelings reduce.