Distress tolerance skills from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) help you survive animal behavior crisis without making things worse.
TIPP Skills for Acute Animal Behavior
Temperature: Cold water on face activates the dive reflex, rapidly reducing animal behavior intensity
Intense exercise: 20 minutes of vigorous exercise discharges animal behavior physiological activation
Paced breathing: Slow the breath (especially exhale) to activate parasympathetic system
Progressive muscle relaxation: Systematic tension-release reduces animal behavior physical symptoms
ACCEPTS Skills for Riding Out Animal Behavior
Activities that engage attention away from animal behavior Contributing to others shifts focus from animal behavior Comparisons that provide perspective on animal behavior Emotions opposite to animal behavior — deliberately generated Pushing away animal behavior temporarily when you can't act on it now Thoughts that replace animal behavior rumination Sensations that provide strong alternative input
When Distress Tolerance Is the Right Skill for Animal Behavior
Use distress tolerance when animal behavior is intense but the situation can't change right now. The goal is surviving without making things worse — not solving animal behavior.