Little Victories

We just wanted to hit you guys up with a reminder but also to say something we’ve been thinking about for awhile 🙂

On our website we have a lot of suggestions of trying little things like art projects, meditation, going for a run, reading, writing, listening to music etc These are either suggestions from us that we’ve compiled over the last few years or from stories that people have shared with us about the different tools they have used to get themselves through tough times.

With the work we do in secondary schools, a lot of it is focused on replacing negative coping techniques with positives so using things like collaging, drumming and even making our own tie-dye t-shirts as ways to break the ice, equip young people with creative outlets for their emotions and give them some enjoyment in what can often be some hard times. We think this can be pretty useful.

However, we are all too aware that sometimes when you’re going through depression or are self- harming that “helpful” friends, parents or teachers telling you to do some yoga or to write down your feelings as a magic cure can come across as patronising and even insulting. Actually sometimes, it can really pee us off! However we do really believe in the power of creative coping techniques, and many of the other things we suggest because time and time again, in context, they work!

When struggling with serious issues or feeling incredibly low, we know again from our own experience that sometimes it’s impossible to get out of bed, impossible to look after yourself and impossible to communicate your feelings and engage with your loved ones. However, getting up and getting dressed and taking a walk or doing some yoga can be such a massive thing. Communicating your feelings you’ve been bottling up through a painting or a poem can be such a relief. Listening to your favourite album, meeting up with friends for a catch up or calling a helpline can make you feel like you’ve conquered your own personal everest (or at least got to base camp!)

For people going through a horrible time, these little things can be the start of a long road to recovery and can be adapted by you to be your go to coping technique that gives you relief instead of self-harming. Theres one thing for us to tell you to write down your feelings in a notebook, it’s another to tear that notebook up into pieces or scribble furiously on a page instead of hurting yourself. Even if it just puts you off for 5 minutes, even if it makes you think twice about self-harming and you do anyway- it’s the start of something you can work towards. It can be the beginning of you recovering and letting go of your self-harmful behaviours.

It can be the start of you learning to look after yourself again. It can be the start of you pulling yourself out of the darkness. It can be the start of a recovery.

We suggest these coping techniques not to insult you or say that trying these things will take away all your troubles- often people we work with (and even ourselves) use these techniques in combination with support from family and friends, counselling or medication. We always say a multi-support approach is probably the best way to support yourself- with lots of different things in place to keep you positive.

I know from my experiences I’ve written about a lot on our website previously about how music helped me so much but in reality it was coupled with a lot of intensive therapy and counselling. Music gave me happiness back to my life and provided little rays of light when my world was very very dark. Sometimes listening to a favourite song would be the only time I would smile in a week.

So next time you think twice or shrug off little suggestions, or dismiss someone saying something you should try- mull it over a little. They suggest these things because quite simply they care and are trying to help you out. And maybe some of these little things might be the thing that makes you smile or gives you 30 seconds of relief in a long and tough week. Little victories are the start of winning those big battles. They show you that you can accomplish things still and that you aren’t beaten by what’s going on in your head. They show you aren’t defeated just yet, and that maybe you do have it in you. We wanted to let you know that we don’t suggest these things and say they will 100% sort you out, but we put them out there to remind you that you are worth looking after and worth not giving up on.

We love hearing what helps you so if you have any suggestions of little things that help you when you’re not coping so well please share them with us. You never know, they could really help someone else one day.