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