# ways to keep our minds off ourselves



## Anxiety75 (Feb 10, 2004)

A little bit of self-help therapy would be to find new ways to keep our minds off ourselves. The past few days I have been writing a story. I used to write them all the time but I started up again. I don't care how bad the grammer is in the stories really. I am not looking to get them published. I found that the last few days of doing alot of typing/writing has kept my mind focused off me and more into the characters of my story. If I get too tired and can't think of anything, I go rest and do something else. I have not been as down on myself either the last few days.

I find that if it is anything very absorbing -even more than just browsing online, I do not think much about myself. I'm also getting together a comfort bag I read about months ago on about.com . It says to keep a bag or a purse to put stuff in like favorite books and pictures and other items. Plus medications and other stuff to help with anxiety.

I have always realized that keeping our mind absorbed helps but not all things keep me absorbed. Sometimes it's the tedious things that I don't always like that help me most. :idea 

Just a suggestion to try something new and take on a new activity that keeps you absorbed even if just exercise.

What is your choice for good anti-anxiety or negativity prevention? opcorn


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## meggiehamilton (Nov 12, 2003)

I try to stay in the moment as much as possible and not let my mind wander. When my mind wanders I focus to much on myself and my problems. I had a counselor once tell me to use distraction. So once I start to get anxiety I start noticing things around me and I talk to myself in a positive way. Noticing things and acknowledging them whether it is as simple as a painting on a wall helps me stay in the current moment.


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## ultrayellow (Sep 8, 2007)

Good post =D

Lately I have taken to yelling "ISISISISISIS" at myself in my head (do I sound a bit weird?) as in focus on what definitly IS instead of going off on a speculative trip mentally. 

Very few things definitly ARE in the world so focusing on them (the carpet is that colour because of these colours in the thread, the greatest white point on my fingernail extends 1.5mm etc etc etc) helps me out a lot. A lot of my problem seems to be Getting Too Creative With Reality (everyone is looking at me, everyone thinks i'm stupid etc etc etc).

A therapist I used to see used to talk about my personal bubble that I retreat into given enough time by myself (or enough stress in a social situation)... I don't know if anyone can relate? So i'm conscious of the need to stop myself from doing that... To keep myself sort of grounded, I do a lot of exercizes that seem definite like physics and mechanics... occasionally abstract maths. Always things that are challenging enough for me that I can't multitask.

If I focus on what is DEFINITLY reality for long enough, it sort of quiets down the din of everything else that's going on and makes it all less important and therefore less to get concerned about. Slowly but surely i'm hoping it's seriously helping.

I really like the idea of a comfort bag...


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## Sierra83 (Sep 24, 2007)

Getting Too Creative with Reality. I like that. Maybe we're all just bored with reality, so we invent our own to keep us excited...


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