The big list of pleasurable activities
Here are some of the awesome ideas I have learned and gathered through the DBT workbook:
Talk to a friend on the telephone
Go out and visit a friend
Invite a friend to come to your home
Exercise
Stretch your muscles
Go for a long walk in a park or someplace else that's peaceful.
Go outside and watch the clouds,
Do something exciting, or out of your comfort zone
Get a massage; this can also help soothe your emotions
Get out of your house, even if you just sit outside
Go for a drive in your car or go for a ride public transportation
Plan a trip to a place you've never been before
Sleep or take a power nap!
Eat chocolate (it's good for you!) or eat something else you really like
Eat your favorite ice cream
Cook your favorite dish or meal
Cook a recipe that you've never tried before
Go out for something to eat
Go outside and play with your pet
Find something funny to do, like watching a funny video on YouTube
Give your pet a bath
Watch a funny movie (start collecting funny movies to watch when you're feeling overwhelmed with pain)
Go to the movie theater and watch whatever's playing
Watch TV
Go to a sporting event, like a baseball or football game
Visit your favorite websites
Create your own website
Create your own online blog
Sell something you don't want on the Internet.
Buy something on the Internet (within your budget).
Do a puzzle with a lot of pieces
Call a crisis or suicide hotline and talk to someone
Go shopping
Go get a haircut
Go to a spa
Go to a library
Go to a bookstore and read
Go to your favorite cafe for coffee or tea
Visit a museum or local art gallery
Go to the mall or the park and watch other people; try to imagine what they're thinking
Pray or meditate
Go to your church, synagogue, temple, or other place of worship
Join a group at your place of worship
Call a family member you haven't spoken to in a long time
Learn a new language
Sing or learn how to sing
Play a musical instrument or learn how to play one
Listen to some upbeat, happy music
Turn on some loud music and dance in your room
Memorize lines from your favorite movie, play, or song
Take photographs of nature and things that make you happy
Join a club or volunteer
Plant a garden/ plant your favorite flowers and watch them bloom and grow.
Work outside
Knit crochet, or sew—or learn how to
Make a scrapbook with pictures
Paint your nails
Change your hair color
Take a bubble bath or shower
Sign up for a class that excites you at a local college, adult school, or online
Read your favorite book, magazine; paper, or poem
Write a letter to a friend or family member
Write things you like about yourself on a picture of your body or draw them on a photograph of yourself
Write a loving letter to yourself when you’re feeling good and keep it with you when you're feeling upset
Make a list of ten things you're good at or that you like about yourself when you're feeling good, and keep it with you to read when you're feeling upset
Paint a picture with a brush or your fingers
Spend time with someone you care about, respect, or admire
Write a story about the craziest, funniest, or most meaningful thing that has ever happened to you
Make a list of ten things you would like to do before you die
Write a letter to someone who has made your life better and tell them why. (You don't have to send the letter if you don't want to)
Create your own list of pleasurable activities!!!!
