Connect with people who understand what you are going through, seek advice and surround yourself with support. We're free, anonymous, and professionally moderated 24/7.
LouisianaMNew Contributor
Hello! Long time BPD patient here, new to this forum. I was just wondering if anyone had any tips or suggestions of healthy/no -harmful things you can do when you feel like acting out? I get very restless and find it hard to focus, and want to to silly/extreme things which I know are not beneficial in the long run. I try to exercise when I feel like this but it's not enough at the moment. Very keen for any advice/suggestions!
In response to: Activities you can do instead of acting out
Unknown userMember
Hey @LouisianaM, welcome to the forums! 😊This is a great question you've raised, and hopefully it can generate some good discussion which I'm sure others will find valuable too.
While I personally don't have lived experience of BPD (& therefore BPD-specific coping strategies), to at least start us off I found this resource which has a bunch of ideas you might find helpful.
@BPDSurvivor you might have some ideas on things to try? And considering I'm quite new to the forums myself, you might also have a better idea of other forums members who have BPD to tag who might like to add to this thread as well 
girasole 🌻
In response to: Activities you can do instead of acting out
Judi9877Senior Contributor
Hi @LouisianaM . Welcome to the forums☺️👋. I'm so glad you found the need to reach out and ask for some support. I also have BPD as one of my mental health conditions so I have an idea of what you are going through.
For me, the following things help:
- knitting and doing craft activities help soothe my feelings as well as often
-writing the way I'm feeling down in a journal
- expressing the thoughts and feelings creatively through some form of drawing (I'm no artist but the feelings of pencils, crayons and textas help me as I love colours)
- going on social media like my Facebook page and seeing what others are up to without posting anything. Instagram and Pinterest are also good sites for me to explore as well to see what ideas I can get.
- Getting outdoors to a park or beach and listening to nature is fun and gives me a chance to take photos on my phone.
I hope these ideas are helpful to you. I'll also tag @BPDSurvivor in here as well as a thread post on BPD where other forum members talk about this sort of thing called Raising Awareness of BPD - Flipping the Script that you might find interesting to explore.
Good luck and I hope to see you on the forums🍀☺️
Judi9877
In response to: Re: Activities you can do instead of acting out
BPDSurvivorSenior Contributor
Hi @LouisianaM !
Awesome work seeking support through these forums!
Ive lived with BPD for over a decade now. I've had a BPD ride of a lifetime which I am very grateful for - both the ups and downs.
As for your question, it really depends on your interests. For me, I tend to keep busy with going for walks, reading, going out to shops, having coffee. I have learnt strategies to cope with thoughts developing into impulses so my impulses are much less severe and less frequent.
Where do your interests lie? Come join us at Raising Awareness of BPD - Flipping the Script . We would love to have you. The BPD journey is absolutely amazing.
BPDSurvivor
Thanks for the tag @Judi9877 @Former-Member !
In response to: Activities you can do instead of acting out
outlanderSenior Contributor
Help us push aside the stigma and discrimination surrounding complex mental health and change the way people talk about, and care for, mental illness.
SANE acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures; and to Elders past and present.
SANE values diversity. We are committed to providing a safe, culturally appropriate, and inclusive service for all people, regardless of their ethnicity, faith, disability, sexuality, or gender identity.
Help us push aside the stigma and discrimination surrounding complex mental health and change the way people talk about, and care for, mental illness.
SANE acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures; and to Elders past and present.
SANE values diversity. We are committed to providing a safe, culturally appropriate, and inclusive service for all people, regardless of their ethnicity, faith, disability, sexuality, or gender identity.
You’ll soon be able to use one secure login to access all SANE services.
For added security, members are now required to log in with their email address and password - member names are no longer supported for logging in.
If you had a Forums account before 19 May 2026 and haven’t set up your new login yet, you'll be prompted to set up your new secure login when you sign-in.
Fields marked * are required
