Healthy Coping and Pleasant Activities

Recovering from psychological abuse is a process that we need to invest time into for the rest of our lives. The Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Course is designed to provide information, case examples, powerful techniques, thought-provoking exercises and specific healing activities that are crucial in recovery from narcissistic abuse. This blog post will cover a very important component of recovery: pleasant activities.

There is a direct correlation between pleasant activities and our mood. The more activities we participate in that are fun, and that inspire our passion and joie de vivre, the better we feel. Even better, with every positive memory we create through our actions each and every day the more positive neural pathways are created in our brains.
 
Laughing. Love-making. Exercise. What do these three have in common? They stimulate the release of endorphins, the pain-killing pleasure chemicals. Make sure you take time to enjoy your life. Too often, when we’re in the throes of life, we forget the importance of pleasure. We become so focused on everything we have to do in our lives that we can become overrun with the enormity of it all, constantly fixated on the next job on our never-ending To-Do list.
 
Don’t let this happen to you. If you are one of those people who find pleasure in your work, consider yourself lucky. Otherwise, set aside time to pursue activities that give you joy. Hobbies, leisure activities, fun with friends and family—all things that keep our brains constantly fuelled by endorphins that work as a kind of inoculation against pain.
 
Increase the amount of pleasant activities gradually. Make a plan, one day at a time, of what you would like to do and then set out to make it happen. Start small and simple at first and break activities down into small, achievable steps. Don’t expect perfection. Avoid the perfection trap altogether and focus on fun and relaxation. Be patient with yourself. You may not find activities as enjoyable as you did in the past, but this is because of the trauma. Your joy will come back to you, with time, persistence and patience. Give yourself a break. If you can’t do it one day, that’s okay. Don’t see it as a failure. Just pick yourself up and move forward. Once you experience success with pleasant activities you will find it easier and easier, and your self-confidence will grow.
 
Take a few minutes to consider the following pleasant activities, and then add your own to the list.
 
Coffee/Dinner with a friend             
Dancing
Drawing                                                         
Shopping
Cooking/        
Baking                        
Gardening
Swimming                                                      
Exercising or Sport
Listening to                            
Music  Reading a Book
Going to a                  
Playing                       
Playing with a Pet with a Pet
Writing in a Journal                                        
Yoga/Meditation
Attending a Sporting                         
Going to a Movie
Surfing the Internet/Pinterest the Internet/Pinterest
Skating/Skiing/Skiing
Going to a Party         
Doing a Visualization
Practicing Gratitude
Playing an Instrument/Singing
Having a Warm Bath             
Reading a Magazine
Painting                      
Going to the Spa to the Spa
Writing                       
Watching TV                         
Live Music Live Music
Learning a New Hobby (pottery, painting)

What are some of your ideas for pleasant activities?

Excerpt from my Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Course, now available for purchase here.
​