SOMETIMES – after I’ve just downloaded some GREAT music (“We found love“, “Mr. Saxobeat“, “Good Feeling“, and the new David Guetta Album, which btw – the we found love music video is depressing so I just linked the audio) – and I’ve been dancing around in my room to my new music – and I’m about to write a blog – I get this crazy urge to like do a BlaVlaLog.  Which in MY head is the equivalent of my being able to TYPE the way I’d SAY something so that you could alll benefit from the FULL… umm… welll… the full YAY!! that is in my head right now. YAY!  :) SMILE!

But since I don’t really want to VLOG and BlaVlaLogging is something I made up (in my head) let’s just all be aware that everything I’m writing tonight should be read LIKE it’s pepped up on caffeine but it ISN’T because this high?  It’s au naturale.

hahahaha.  I smile every time I see that picture.  That’s Duchess, my dog.  She pretty much loves the park. SPEAKING OF WHICH!!  The PARK is a GREAT distraction from dwelling on stuff you can’t change.

So is looking at that picture.  In fact, maybe you should look at it again.

K cool – we have that settled now.  Let’s dive right back into Distraction Techniques.

No – wait. Let’s do a quick recap.  WHY are we talking about this?  Because sometimes we get overwhelmed with stress and when THAT happens?  We usually cope with stress by using self-defeating behaviors.  Blog One was Common but Self-Defeating Stress Coping Mechanisms.  Then we discussed Radical Acceptance in Blog Two and explained that the FIRST tool in fighting stress is acceptance.  Once we get the gist of acceptance we can start distracting – which brings us to today.  MAD DISTRACTION SKILLZ.  YAY!

Mad Distraction Skillz #1 – Stop being self-centered!

I don’t know that much needs to be said about this one.  If you serve others and put others first – you won’t have time to dwell on your own stress.  It is kinda that simple.  BUT let’s delve a little deeper.

• Do Service
• People Watch  (observe as many details as possible so you have no time to think of anything else.  AND if you’re like my brother … you might sneak a camera phone pic of some fashion faux pas awesomeness and send it to a friend – you’ll both laugh and hopefully feel a little guilty for being kind of mean – but still laugh.)  Or you could be like the people of “People of Walmart” and take pics like the one below.  Aaaannnnddddd Please Bless I don’t go to Hades for posting this. YAY!

• Go on a quest to take a GREAT picture of a Fanny Pack!!!  Double points if you get TWO fanny packs in one pic and TRIPLE points if you manage to get YOURSELF in the pic with a fanny pack.  OH!!!! And one billion ga-jallion points if you email the picture to moi.  :)

(please extra please bless I don’t get sent to H.E.double hockey sticks for these.)

• Think of someone you care about.
• Keep pictures of people you care about around where you can see them and then LOOK at them when you’re SpIraLinG.

Mad Distraction Skillz #2 – Change your thoughts!!

This one is SOOOOoooooOOOO much easier said than done.  But being AWARE of your thoughts and AWARE that you CAN change them gives you power.

YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS

This doesn’t mean you can change the way you feel!!!  This also doesn’t mean you are going to forget.  We can’t always CONTROL our thoughts.  It’s not even worth trying.  But we can DIRECT and CHANGE our thoughts.  We can distract ourselves.  

This concept is SO important that we will have a blog JUST on thought patterns.  I’ve read a few books that focus on this specifically and it’s SO WORTH giving it some extra attention.  But for NOW?  When you feel yourself thinking about things that can’t be changed – TELL YOURSELF NO.  Be aware.  Think of something else … for example:

• Remember things that were fun.  Maybe a specific event where you couldn’t stop smiling.  Remember that feeling.  Remember what made you laugh.  Remember as many details as you possibly can. (don’t get side tracked remembering that things might not be as good NOW as they were THEN.)
• Find something lovely outside and FOCUS on it.  Look at every detail  BE CURIOUS.
• IMAGINE!  FANTASIZE!  You’re a superhero – who are you going to save?  What has your super villain arch enemy done THIS time?
• OR imagine you just won the lotto – what do you buy first?
• Pray
• Do something on the Really Long List of Things To Do
• Tell yourself No again – and then remember something happy – remember the FEELING
• Watch this video because it’s SO FUNNY

Create a distraction plan.

Mad Distraction Skillz #3: Create a Distraction Plan

Is there something on your plate or in your life that overwhelms you?  Be aware of it.  Decide NOW that the next time you feel yourself dwelling or spiraling because of this issue that you WILL do _________.  It doesn’t matter which technique you try.  Just pick one and try it!!  

Mad Distraction Skillz #4: LEAVE

Don’t run away from your problems but be aware when walking away from the situation until you can clear your head might be best.  If the situation involves another person, relationship guides suggest you tell the person you are going to clear your head for X amount of minutes and give them a time frame for when you will come back and discuss things.

Mad Distraction Skillz #5: Whistle While You Work

When life gets overwhelming, sometimes we let daily tasks fall behind.  It’s not that we WANT our sink to fill up with dishes, or to look in the mirror and realize it’s been WAY too long since our last eyebrow wax – but sometimes it happens.  Crossing off tasks from your to do list is AWESOME.  And cleaning can be cathartic.  AND sometimes if you attack dirt and grime and come out the WINNER?  It feels GREAT!

• Clean your car
• Pull weeds
• Vacuum
• Clean the kitchen
• Wash blinds
• Reorganize a shelf (any shelf)
• Reorganize anything
• Rearrange furniture
• Get rid of old stuff
• Color coordinate your closet
• SCRUB the bathroom til it SpArKleS
• Clean the garage
• Sweep
• Mop
• Get the haircut/wax/manicure you need
• Treat yourself to a massage
• Wash your car
• Mow the lawn
• LAUNDRY
• Homework?
• Extra assignment from work?
• Clean your jewelry/watches/shoes
• Cook – then CLEAN up afterwards
• Pay that stack of bills
• Respond to emails
• EXERCISE
• Take your dogs to the park because you’ve promised them every single day that you’d go and every single day you don’t end up going… wait… haha – you don’t have to do that one.  That one was just for me.

Mad Distraction Skills #6: Count Dracula

Ok so SOME of the ideas in this blog come straight from my book – and nooooo not most of them – just some of them.  And Counting?  That is DEFINITELY one of the book’s suggestions.  BBBUUUUTTTT maybe it works!  If it sounds dumb?  Try watching this youtube video first. hahahahaha.  And maybe remember while you watch it that it’s SO easy to misinterpret people and maybe a recent conversation that upset you deserves another look.  Did you give the person the benefit of the doubt?  Did you ask them to clarify?  Did you repeat what you “heard” back to them?  If not – maybe you should.  (and yes THAT stuff was all me – not the book.)  haha – I amuse myself.

Back to the “counting” suggestion.

• Count your breaths – breathe slowly.
• Count anything.  The cars passing by, the people you see, how many letter Ts are in this blog…
• Count in increments of 7.  Go up or down the number line.

CREATE A DISTRACTION PLAN

What are you willing to try?  Decide now and do it next time.  Refer back to the HUMONGOUS list of things to do if you want more ideas.