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