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