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