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