Crisis Survival Skills
This skill uses cold water, intense exercise, paced breathing, and paired muscle relaxation to quickly reduce emotional intensity.
TIPP
This skill encourages you to engage in behaviors that are opposite to the emotion-driven urge when the emotion doesn't fit the facts.
Opposite Action
This skill involves accepting reality as it is rather than fighting what cannot be changed.
Radical Acceptance
This skill helps you ask for what you want or say no while maintaining self-respect and relationships.
DEAR MAN
These skills involve Observe, Describe, and Participate
"What" Skills
This skill encourages you to stop, take a step back, observe, and proceed mindfully before reacting.
STOP
This acronym reminds you to care for physical health through sleep, nutrition, exercise, avoiding mood-altering substances, and treating illness.
PLEASE
This acronym includes Activities, Contributing, Comparisons, Emotions, Pushing Away, Thoughts, and Sensations.
ACCEPTS
DBT Acronym for the following: being Gentle, Interested, Validating, and using an Easy manner.
GIVE
These skills involve being Nonjudgmental, One-Mindful, and Effective.
"How" Skills
This skill reminds you to check whether you are Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired before responding to distress.
HALT
This state occurs when emotions completely take over decision-making.
Emotional Mind
This acronym includes Imagery, Meaning, Prayer, Relaxation, One thing in the moment, Vacation, and Encouragement.
IMPROVE
This skill focuses on maintaining self-respect by being Fair, avoiding unnecessary Apologies, Sticking to values, and being Truthful.
FAST
This mindfulness skill encourages fully engaging in the present moment without multitasking
One-Mindfully (How Skill)
This skill teaches you to ride out urges like waves without acting on them.
Urge Surfing
This state relies only on facts, logic, and reason while ignoring emotions.
Reasonable Mind
This skill is often used when pain cannot immediately be changed but suffering can be reduced.
Radical Acceptance
This skill helps maintain relationships during conflict while still communicating needs.
GIVE
This skill involves noticing thoughts, emotions, and sensations without trying to change them.
Observe (What Skill)
This skill combines a gentle smile with an open posture to influence emotional states and increase willingness.
Half Smiling and Willing Hands
This balanced state integrates emotions and logic to guide effective decisions.
Wise Mind
This skill encourages distracting yourself temporarily until emotions become more manageable.
ACCEPTS
This skill combines Describe, Express, Assert, Reinforce, Mindful, Appear Confident, and Negotiate
DEAR MAN
This skill focuses on doing what works rather than what feels right or fair.
Effectively (How Skill)