Alternatives to self-harm

Hello!

Well today's gonna be a little different because yeah, it's not about eating habits but rather more on self harm and depression and mood. Many of us actually do have depression coupled with our eating disorder because it's all linked. Well, in my opinion, the eating habits are the easier ones to tackle while the depression... It's gonna be a little harder because you can force feed someone but you cant force them to be happy.

So I know there are lots of posts on this topic but really how many actually do work? Well I've collated some I think is more effective (rather than like "read a book", I mean really how's that gonna help remove your emotions?)

ALTERNATIVES TO RELEASE YOUR EMOTIONS : 

1. Crush paper
2. Squeeze a stress ball
3. Punch your pillow
4. Play basket ball
5. Run or Jog
6. Play a game that pisses you off even more (Well it works for me. I end up laughing)
7. I once made a cardboard doll and harmed it instead of myself....

Ok I've got nothing much. But channel your ENERGY to something that requires physical movement. That will be your outlet. I mean yeah maybe reading a book works for some but when I get mad or upset I feel really really restless and I need to move about or do something that requires movement or I'll just like explode. 

Either way, whenever you want to self harm remember that the scars won't look nice. Remember your clean days streak. Think of how your parents and friends won't want you to do that. Think how will self harming help you in your problems? All you need is an outlet, and self harming isn't a solutions, self harming is your outlet. But choose another outlet because self harming is not worth it. And most importantly if you believe in the bible,

Leviticus 19:28New International Version (NIV) : “‘Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord.1 Corinthians 6:19-20New International Version (NIV) : Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price.Therefore honor God with your bodies.

BREAKING ED HABITS : All or nothing mindset

I'm either a failure or I'm not. But I have failed so many times. I am a failure.

Yeah, you're not the only one who has those thoughts. I have them too, honestly, I guess I mean or else I wouldn't be suffering from a psychological illness too right? I'm sure many of us have this problem, and it's evident. In Instagram news feeds and like through conversations, it's obvious many of us have this mindset, not only people with like depression or eating disorders.

It's a tough thing to do but you've got to break this habit. Personally I used to think that if I accepted myself for who I was, I'd be a cocky and arrogant person. I used to think that if I said my results were quite good, I was proud. If I said I was quite ok looking, I was vain. Sometimes I still think that way to be honest, I won't deny. But I've realized that that's not true, rather if you are "over humble", people dislike you and find you annoying.

Just think of a classmate who always topped the class and exclaims after an exam that "Sure fail one lah". 

I'm sure topping the class is possible with an F grade.

Haha honestly feel a little like a hypocrite when I say that because I kinda think sometimes I do that too, but that's why I want to change this "All or nothing" mindset of mine.

Just because you're not underweight anymore doesn't mean you're fat. So you're saying your best friend is fat. Your mom is fat. Your dad is fat. Your sisters and brothers are fat. The whole world is fat? Besides fats and appearance doesn't depend on your weight! (Read on WHY WEIGHT DOESN'T MATTER HERE!). 

And just because you b/p once, or twice, or s/h once or twice and broke your streak doesn't make you a failure. There is absolutely NO ONE who recovered totally smoothly. Looking back at my "sample dietitian meal plan" in which I didn't use because I went for therapy and opted out of dietitian meal plans, it was actually so so little. But over that meal plan I literally cried and like totally ignored my dietician for the rest of that appointment, throwing a tantrum at her and everyone around me. 

Look, we have to all accept that we screw up here and there. But one action doesn't determine you. One habit doesn't determine you. People change and people can change, I know it's difficult to try to be positive and think on the bright side sometimes but everything that's not a habit takes effort to do right? Everyone has inertia, everyone is resistant to change. No one likes stepping out of their comfort zone, not even extroverts. Try asking an extrovert to shut up for a whole week, I bet after 10 minutes they'd give up haha.

Either way, be it if you have depression, an eating disorder, self harm tendencies or none of the above, if you have a all or nothing mindset, you'll never feel happy and fulfilled in life. You'll always feel like there is something bad in everyday, you'll always feel like you're never a "non-failure". But you need to realize that's not true. Life is never a smooth sail 24/7.

If I failed an exam by 1 mark, and told you that I'm a failure in life, what would you tell me? Tell that to yourself too.