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