relieving wing related dysphoria
something that I see many winged folks experience, including myself, is wing related dysphoria. more specifically, dysphoria relating to not being able to fly or not having wings physically. all my life this is a struggle I've dealt with, and I understand how painful it is. there are ways to relieve it though! here's some things that I've come up with and suggest to those who are struggling:
create mood boards, wallpapers, stim boards, and pinterest boards relating to the sky, your wings, theriotype, shifted form, etc
dive into media that has winged people/creatures (maximum ride, the maleficent movies, the croaking, just to name a few)
play games that let you fly, either with or without wings. bonus points if you're able to do it in VR (roblox, minecraft, feralheart, aer memories of old, superflight, fugl, etc)
practice lucid dreaming or astral projection
blankets!! especially weighted blankets, this can mimic the feeling of having wings
create or buy cosplay wings that look like your own (either typical cosplay wings worn with a harness/straps, or a backpack with wings, or a shawl in the shape of wings)
wear the colors of your wings, theriotype or shifted form
surround yourself with wing related themes or themes related to your theriotype or shifted form (buttons, pins, stickers, doodles, plushies, etc)
wear wing related accessories (rings, necklaces, hair pins, wings you can put on the laces of your shoes, etc)
if you're able to, get wings tattooed on your back or get a tattoo related to your theriotype or shifted form
if you're able to, participate in sky/air related sports or activities (skydiving, wingsuit flying, paragliding, hang gliding, etc)
draw/doodle your wings, theriotype or shifted form!!
meditate and visualize your wings. feel their weight, see their colors and textures, etc.
connect and talk to others who have wings if you need support and are looking for folks who have had similar experiences
carry around a backpack and make sure to give it some weight! having a backpack of a similar weight to my phantom wings tends to make my phantom wings go away, if you're looking to stop your phantom wings from existing for a bit for any reason
collect feathers that look like yours if you have feathered wings
connect with nature! this helps ground me and feel more connected to my natural self. I suggest going outside on a windy day or climbing trees.
stick your head/arms out of the car when you're going somewhere! this is one of my favorite things to do and it mimics what I imagine flying to feel like (pro tip, don't do this if you're driving)
make your room feel like the environment you belong in (using nature or wind ambient sounds, fans to get air flowing, that sort of thing)
I'm sure there are more things that I could add, but I think that this is all my brain can think of at the moment. feel free to add onto the list if there's anything else that any of you want to add if I missed anything!
