What Is Self Care?

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What are some things you can do to help yourself get grounded if you get triggered or experience a flashback? This is a work in progress, a list of some things that have helped us or the members here. If you have any ideas to add, please let me know and I can put them here.

• Walk away. This one might be the hardest to do, but walk away from whatever is triggering you. It might not always be possible, but if it is, it may be the most effective. Turn off the tv, the computer, stop reading posts, whatever has you triggered.
• Cuddle with something safe -- a stuffy, a blankie, a pet, anything that makes you feel safe. This one isn't just for the lils either, even I have done this from time to time.
• Go outside, take a walk
• Exercise, stretch, any sort of physical movement
• Put your feet firmly on the ground, remind yourself that you are safe now
• Use ice, lemon juice or a hot sauce like chilli to "shock" yourself back to the present
• Using smells can help for example incense sticks and oil burners
• Write... write a poem, write a story, write in a journal, write today's date over and over, write a note to a friend
• Music - sing, listen to the radio, play an instrument
• Call a friend, a ther*pist, a hotline, even call a wrong number. Sometimes just hearing a human voice is enough to help.
• Eat something that makes you feel warm and safe... this isn't the time to worry about your latest diet, this is the time to pamper yourself and comfort yourself.
• Watch a good safe movie... be careful with this one, sometimes movies or tv can make things worse... but if you have a favorite safe movie that you know doesn't trigger you, it might help.
• Coloring
• Make a list of good things in your life -- sometimes in a hard time all you can think of is one or two things, but keep adding to the list and keep it close by. Read through it whenever you're having a rough time.