Space, click, or right arrow to go next. Please note These are strategies that have worked for many people in the past, if one doesn’t work for you, it doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with you. Please try another strategy, you can do this, we believe in you, you are so strong and so brave, you got this! 1. Call a friend Call, text, email, visit, or reach out to a friend however you would like. You don’t need to tell them why, but depending on the friend it can be helpful. Your friends love and care about you SO much, and having the knowledge that there are so many people that support you can be helpful. You can contact them to distract yourself too or keep you entertained while you wait. 2. Take a cold shower 3. Make a friendship bracelet! 4. Be with your pet (if you have one) 4. Surround yourself in stuffed animals 5. Draw or paint a picture, it doesn’t have to be good! 6. Listen to music Music can be a great way to distract yourself. Some music that helps me is music that reminds me of my happy place.For example, I went to summer camp a year ago with a lot of my close friends. One night we sang Birds of a Feather so now when I am struggling, listening to this song reminds me of my summer camp. Maybe you went to see wicked with your friends or family and listening to the soundtrack could remind you of that. 7. Writing activities You could write and express your feelings in a journal, or work on or create a new book. For me it has helped to make lists of things I am grateful for, happy about, or proud of. You could also write a letter to give to a friend or relative! 8. Go on the Gaehive The Gaehive can be a great place to go to distract yourself as you wait, please just remember to follow the rules. You can ask to vent on other people’s profiles but please don’t break any rules. They exist to keep you and others safe! 9. Go to your happy place Where is your favorite place in the whole wide world? Where you feel the safest, the happiest, but also feel safe being sad? What makes a happy place happy is your ability to be the real you. Now imagine that you are there. Try and list the things you like, the smells, the sounds, the people. See if you can recreate any of these where you are now. 10. Rewatch or start a new movie or TV series. Personally I like to rewatch animated movies I saw as a kid or watch tv shows made for younger audiences, such as Bluey or Hilda. 11. Contact a trusted adult It can be really scary to open up to adults, especially your parents, about these feelings. It is completely understandable if you don’t feel safe doing so, but it can really help sometimes. Thank you I really hope that at least one of these helped. If they didn’t please please try to find a way to keep yourself waiting, the world needs you, you are NOT a burden, you are not annoying, there are so many people that love and support you. If you did call a hotline, I am so proud of you, you are so brave, and if you didn’t, you are still amazing. Please consider calling one as they can be very helpful, in the US, the Trevor Project is great for LGBTQIA+ youth. Please remember, your pain is real, your feelings are real, but they are going to go away. It may feel like they won’t but they will and you will be so glad you choose to stay.
Please comment any tips that you use and I will try to update this as much as possible.
