A distraction box is something that allows you to distract yourself from how you are feeling; a feeling that wants you to SI, cry, a strong emotion that wants you to hurt yourself or makes you feel uncomfortable.

A box can be anything, any size, any shape, it can be big, it can be small.

What helps you to distract? This is an important question because what helps you to distract may not help another.

Let’s start with some physical things:

• stress ball (something that can be made so simply by a balloon and flour / rice);
• soft toys;
• a nice blanket you admire and can fee;
• adding to a chain of paper clips.

Look around and add the things that bring you comfort or capture your attention:

• Pictures that mean something to you, past letters that put a smile upon your face, or how about drawing or journaling?
• Do you have a playlist of songs that you enjoy listening to? If so then that can be added to your distraction box too! Does smelling things help?
• Lavender comes to mind. But what smells do you like?

A distraction box can include anything. Whatever helps you to distract and helps to move you away from negative or unhelpful thoughts / behaviours; make your box unique and personal to you.

It’s big business

You can think of your distraction box as your creativity box. Adobe (the company that makes Photoshop, y’know) use creativity boxes to help their employees come up with new business ideas.

So just think about that! There’s nothing silly about a box – it’s serious business!