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