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