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