Helpful Distractions

✨Hello, OC,✨

I found a great acronym recently for distractions. Sometimes when I feel strong emotions, such as anxiety, I need a distraction to get through the next few minutes or hours. I also may not be in the headspace to face difficult emotions just yet.

A - ACTIVITIES 🎨🎮

Engage in activities that require thought and concentration, such as a hobby, a project, work, or school.

C - CONTRIBUTING 👥💙

Focus on someone or something other than yourself. For example, volunteering or doing a good deed.

C - COMPARISONS 👈👉

Look at your situation in comparison. Remember a time when things felt worse than they do now (and how you eventually overcame it).

E - EMOTIONS 😂😊😭😡

Do something that will create a competing emotion. Feeling sad? Watch a funny movie. Feeling nervous? Listen to soothing music.

P - PUSHING AWAY ✋❌

Push negative thoughts out of your mind. Imagine writing your problem on a piece of paper, crumpling it up, and throwing it away. Refuse to think about the situation until a better time.

T - THOUGHTS 👤💭

Occupy your mind so you don't have room to dwell on the painful feelings. For instance, count backwards from 1000 by 7 or read a book.

S - SENSATIONS 👅🖐

Find safe physical sensations to distract you from negative emotions. Examples include holding an ice cube in your hand or eating something sour (i.e., sour lollies or a lemon).