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