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