ACCEPTS
Playing basketball, drawing, or gaming are examples of this ACCEPTS skill.
What is Activities?
Imagining yourself successfully handling a difficult situation uses this IMPROVE skill.
What is Imagery?
The "S" in STOP stands for this action.
What is Stop?
What is urge surfing?
Riding out an urge without acting on it until it passes.
A coach gives you constructive feedback and your first thought is, "I'm the worst player on the team." A more balanced thought would be:
What is "My coach is helping me improve, not saying I'm terrible"?
This ACCEPTS skill involves helping a friend or doing something nice for someone else.
What is Contributing?
Finding purpose or meaning in a stressful situation uses this IMPROVE skill.
What is Meaning?
The "T" reminds us to do this before reacting.
What is Take a step back?
In urge surfing, urges are often compared to these because they rise, peak, and eventually fall.
What are waves?
You get left on read by one friend and think, "Nobody likes me." This is an example of what cognitive distortion?
Overgeneralization
Thinking about a time you overcame a challenge is an example of this ACCEPTS skill.
What is Comparisons?
Saying "I can get through this" instead of "This is awful" uses this IMPROVE skill.
What is Encouragement?
The "O" in STOP asks us to do this with our thoughts, feelings, and surroundings.
What is Observe?
This is the first thing you should do when practicing urge surfing.
What is notice and acknowledge the urge without judging it?
You score 85% on a test and think, "I didn't get an A, so I completely failed." What cognitive distortion is this?
All-or-nothing/polarized thinking
Watching a funny show when you're sad is an example of changing your emotional state through this ACCEPTS skill.
What is Emotions?
Focusing completely on just this moment rather than worrying about the future uses this IMPROVE skill.
What is One Thing in the Moment?
The "P" means choosing a response based on goals rather than emotions.
What is Proceed mindfully?
During urge surfing, instead of trying to get rid of an urge, you do this.
What is observe it or distract yourself if need be and let it pass naturally?
You don't get invited to one hangout and think, "Nobody likes me." Name one question you could ask yourself to challenge that thought.
Listening to music loudly enough to focus on it instead of upsetting thoughts uses this ACCEPTS skill.
What is Sensations?
Taking a brief break from a stressful situation and returning later uses this IMPROVE skill.
What is Vacation?
You're furious after getting a bad grade and want to send an angry email to your teacher immediately. How can you apply the STOP skill?
Pause. Take a deep breath. Name your emotion: "I am feeling ____ (angry, disappointed, embarrassed)." Consider your goal, options. and potential consequences. Choose to use coping skills to calm down and then respond to the email later.
A teen has a strong urge to text their ex after a breakup. How can they apply urge surfing?
They can notice the urge, rate its intensity, focus on their breathing, distract themself with a new activity, and wait 20 minutes without acting on it. The urge becomes weaker.
A teacher gives you constructive feedback, and your first thought is, "I can't do anything right." Reframe the thought.