- Read a book! Books are truly an amazing escape. Audiobooks are also a great idea.
- Go to Netflix and start watching the first anime you see - in Japanese. You’ll have to pay attention to it to get the storyline and therefore will be distracted from your ED.
- Start drawing on your hand with a pen.
- Start a money jar for something you want to do someday - like “go to New York” or “Tickets to Burning Man”. Decorate the jar to reflect on your goals and dreams. Take as long as you like.
- Pet a cat, dog, or get really brave and pet a fish. Animals are an excellent anti depressant. If you don’t have a pet, take a trip to Petsmart and say hello to the pets through the cages, or adopt one.
- Take Buzzfeed quizzes. Seriously, these are very distracting.
- Make a Youtube video.
- Go for a walk. On your walk, try to call a friend. It’s double distraction.
- Take a nice, long, relaxing bath. Everyone deserves a nice bath at least once a week. it’s good for stress relief and being in a bathtub sure does make it hard to act out on ED thoughts.
- Watch a documentary on Honey Badgers. Because they just don’t give a shit. (there’s a good one on Netflix, seriously.)
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Ten Things to do to Distract You from ED Thoughts
Ten Things to do to Distract You from ED Thoughts
- Read a book! Books are truly an amazing escape. Audiobooks are also a great idea.
- Go to Netflix and start watching the first anime you see - in Japanese. You’ll have to pay attention to it to get the storyline and therefore will be distracted from your ED.
- Start drawing on your hand with a pen.
- Start a money jar for something you want to do someday - like “go to New York” or “Tickets to Burning Man”. Decorate the jar to reflect on your goals and dreams. Take as long as you like.
- Pet a cat, dog, or get really brave and pet a fish. Animals are an excellent anti depressant. If you don’t have a pet, take a trip to Petsmart and say hello to the pets through the cages, or adopt one.
- Take Buzzfeed quizzes. Seriously, these are very distracting.
- Make a Youtube video.
- Go for a walk. On your walk, try to call a friend. It’s double distraction.
- Take a nice, long, relaxing bath. Everyone deserves a nice bath at least once a week. it’s good for stress relief and being in a bathtub sure does make it hard to act out on ED thoughts.
- Watch a documentary on Honey Badgers. Because they just don’t give a shit. (there’s a good one on Netflix, seriously.)
Recovery brings happiness
Recovery is bringing happiness back to your life! Not a happiness like jumping around singing and smiling all day long and not having problems anymore, more like a small one.
The happiness that gives you enough energy to stay longer at school because of a great conversation with your friends.
The one you feel when you slowly get back to old habits like drawing, reading, shopping, dancing to a beatfull song etc.
That type of happiness that makes you go to school by bike.
That happiness when you ate instead of one cookie, two and you loved it.
When you start having positive thoughts, but not in an “i love the whole universe”-way but in a “ this trousers kinda look good”-way .
The happiness after failing or relapsing but you realized that you DON’T WANT TO GIVE UP!
So don’t give up. Give your life the chance to build with all of this little happiness a life full of joy!
- Painting
- Collecting things
- Writing
- Origami
- Singing
- Meditating
- Magic tricks
- Drawing
- Calligraphy
- Jewellery making
- Postal correspondence
- Sewing
- Pinterest-style DIY
- Baking
- Cooking
- Cake decorating
- Film/TV watching
- Seated yoga
- Puzzles
- Make-up
- Knitting
- …
Dancing
Making music
Reading
its okay to think you’ve got your shit together, and then have it fall apart. its okay to have to rebuild. its okay to have to go back to the drawing board, or completely rewrite your plan. its okay to make mistakes, and its okay to not want to learn from them. its okay.
Be alone. Eat alone, take yourself on dates, sleep alone. In the midst of this you will learn about yourself. You will grow, you will figure out what inspires you, you will curate your own dreams, your own beliefs, your own stunning clarity, and when you do meet the person who makes your cells dance, you will be sure of it, because you are sure of yourself.
