Lived Experience Forum

[Margot]

What a great idea @outlander I particularly like how you're creating a holistic sensory experience by using rose scented paper. The really nice thing about self care projects is that they're just as much about the process as they are about the finished product.

What got you into self care projects @Sans911? Are there any project recommendations or ideas you have from your experience? 

[outlander]

Mm that was @Sans911 idea too @Margot lol. Exactly. I quite like making them when i find things to stick in it. I use to scrapobook alot to but not so much anymore.

[Sans911]

@Margot

I got into my self care projects partly through DBT but partly by myself. I'm a very visual person so being able to look and touch things is quite helpful for me. Unfortunately I'm good at starting projects but not seeing them until the end. Many years ago I started a large scrapbook on the places I'd like to visit. Despite not finishing it, I have got to many of those places.

I also started some months back another scrapbook of things that make my life meaningful. Its not a scrapbook in the professional sense, but more a collection of visual scenes and also tactile objects to touch. One of these was the sand from where my foster sister's beach is, where I walk very often when I'm visiting. Another sand I've collected is from a place where I had a bit of a light bulb moment when I couldn't sleep and went for a drive and wound up there. Again, it's not finished, more a work in progress.

I keep other things like uni assignments from a long time ago that I got high grades for. Reading these again I still get a bit of a nice feeling.

Just this weekend gone I went to a team retreat and got a small paper bag of warm fuzzifrom others. I'll definitely be keeping and rereading those.

[Margot]

Oh wow, that's amazing @Sans911 

What a powerful idea "A scrapbook of the things that make my life meaningful".

That sentence, combined with what you'd mentioned about not finishing things, reminded me of some interesting research I heard about a while back. The viewpoint of the researcher was that often the very things in life that give us meaning are those projects we take up that have no defined "finish". So rather than focusing exclusively on tasks we can acheive and "tick off the list", they believed that adding in "life projects" like "be a good friend", "Look after myself" or "nurture creativity" helped us to feel a deeper sense of meaning. In many ways, creative self care projects like the ones you've described contribute to this and it makes sense that they feel fulfilling. 

Thanks for sharing 🐼

[Former-Member]

The idea of a playlist for each mood is great @Margot

[Jupiter]

Love this! @Margot

[Owlunar]

Hi @Sans911

I like your idea of starting a scrap book about places I would like to visit

I can get brochures from Travel Agents - they don't mind handing them out - and I thought when I was at the Travel Agent today that the brochures I was checking out while I was waiting could be scrap book items regardless

I might just start that - probably will

Dec

[Shaz51]

Hello @Owlunar, @Jupiter, @Former-Member, @Sans911, @outlander, @Sans911

Great thread @Margot

What do you think @frog, @EternalFlame, @Twinklelight, @

[Former-Member]

Hi @Shaz51

You are always friendly and say hi to others, HI

[Shaz51]

Hi and sending you hugs @Former-Member