Meltdown Aversion

So you’ve had one of those catsickonthekitchenfloor/toddler meltdown/bumped into the ex wearing curry-stained trackies/missed deadline/I’m a piece of crap days.  You’re trying not to cry. Whatever your fix, what’s going to stop you self-harming and turning to destructive patterns of behaviour?

Number One.  A prayer flare.  Like literally, ‘help Lord’.

Number Two, A phone call to a friend. Talk about how you’re feeling.

Number Three. A cup of tea. Preferably with sugar.

Number Four: some self-talk. Here’s some starters;

• Am I doing that “compare and despair” thing where I compare myself to Mother Teresa/Cindy Crawford/all the other people in the world who seem to have it together?
• Is there another way of looking at this? Try picking the very opposite approach to the one you’d naturally go for.
• Am I getting things out of proportion?
• Am I underestimating my ability to cope?
• Am I mind-reading what others might be thinking?
• Am I doing black-and-white thinking?  People aren’t perfect.  That’s ok.
• What advice would I give someone else in this situation?
• Am I putting  pressure on myself and setting up impossible expectations?  What would be more realistic?
• Feeling bad doesn’t mean that I’m bad or my life is.
• What do I want or need from this person or situation?  What do they want or need from me?  Is there a compromise?
• What will happen if I respond the way I normally do?
• Is there another way of dealing with this?  What would be the best  action to take?  (for me, for the situation, for the other person)
• How would someone else see this situation?
• What would Gillian McKeith do? Do the opposite.