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