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