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