This just happened for me yesterday, and I remembered this thread, but couldn't come up with a plan at the time. So I decided to do it today to try to keep last night's awfulness from happening again, or at least have more options to try first.
First things first
![:redstar: :redstar:](./images/smilies/rdstar.gif)
Pay enormous attention to how everything I'm doing feels and affects my emotions, thoughts, and intensity of flashbacks; adjust as needed and stop anything that’s making it worse to move onto something else
![:star: :star:](./images/smilies/I5.gif)
Take anxiety meds
![:ylwstar: :ylwstar:](./images/smilies/ylwstar.gif)
Journal with my muse/imaginary friend
![:grnstar: :grnstar:](./images/smilies/grstar.gif)
Shut myself in back 'safe' room
![:bluestar: :bluestar:](./images/smilies/blstar.gif)
Optional: robe, heater, heating pad, electric blanket, fluffy pillow, or open windows if fresh air feels good
Daytime options
![:redstar: :redstar:](./images/smilies/rdstar.gif)
If it’s sunny and warm, hoopwalk around favorite nearby greenway looping a lake is an option
![:star: :star:](./images/smilies/I5.gif)
If it’s open, local free art museum and sculpture garden or one of the other cheap or free art museums
![:ylwstar: :ylwstar:](./images/smilies/ylwstar.gif)
Punching bag
Other options
![:redstar: :redstar:](./images/smilies/rdstar.gif)
my calm and soothing ‘It's easier to think about Dolphins than to NOT think about rhinoceroses’ playlist; or some custom white noise selections I made of favorite ambient sounds
![:star: :star:](./images/smilies/I5.gif)
Reading Diana Wynne Jones, Terry Pratchett, or Tad Williams’s ‘Otherland’ series
![:ylwstar: :ylwstar:](./images/smilies/ylwstar.gif)
reading some other e-book I have waiting to be read, paying attention to what increases stress and steering clear
![:grnstar: :grnstar:](./images/smilies/grstar.gif)
Reading what I call my ‘Sennsucht’ wish-fulfillment stories or writing new ones
![:bluestar: :bluestar:](./images/smilies/blstar.gif)
Ukulele
![:dkpurpstar: :dkpurpstar:](./images/smilies/dkpurpstar.gif)
Playing ‘
The Beautiful Dream’ or ‘
Lunar Flowers’ on my iPhone, these gorgeous free games evoke a peaceful feeling I like to think is similar to zen gardeners raking their gravel into patterns, or some other hypnotic repetitive soothing act
![:pinkstar: :pinkstar:](./images/smilies/pkstar.gif)
Scream or cry into pillow
![:grystar: :grystar:](./images/smilies/grystar.gif)
cutting out shapes from cardstock using templates to make 3D shapes for collages
![:blkstar: :blkstar:](./images/smilies/blkstar.gif)
cleaning something really well
![:redstar: :redstar:](./images/smilies/rdstar.gif)
make gummy candy
![:star: :star:](./images/smilies/I5.gif)
downloading, sorting, editing pictures from camera
Journal questions
![:redstar: :redstar:](./images/smilies/rdstar.gif)
What do I feel?
![:star: :star:](./images/smilies/I5.gif)
How can I make it easier?
![:ylwstar: :ylwstar:](./images/smilies/ylwstar.gif)
What do I wish?
![:lgrnstar: :lgrnstar:](./images/smilies/ltgrstar.gif)
How can I give myself my wishes in fantasy?
![:lblstar: :lblstar:](./images/smilies/lblstar.gif)
What has worked before, even in the distant past?
Love,
Holly