Emotion Regulation
This skill can help you become more equipped to handle a situation effectively, even though you may anticipate it being stressful or emotionally difficult in some way
The Cope Ahead Skill
Practicing this skill involves thinking of the brain as having 3 parts, emotion, logic, and the perspective in the middle that invites a balance of both.
Wise Mind
This skill is a reminder to act interested in what the other person in the conversation has to say, to validate their perspective, among other things.
The GIVE skill
This skill involves manipulating our body chemistry in a healthy way to reduce the effects of an overwhelmed emotional mind
The TIPP skill
Tip the temperature (hot or cold)
Intense Exercise
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Paced Breathing
If I were encouraging a client to practice this technique, I might say, "Look for a beautiful sunrise or sunset, the stars at night, or pictures of these things. Look for beautiful photos of beaches or mountains or a beautiful flower. Look to nature all around you."
Visual Self-Soothing
This skill involves "switching it up" by consciously choosing to invoke a response that may not be your initial, habitual, or automatic instinct.
Opposite Action
This grouping of skills asks you to Observe, Describe, and Participate in your current experience
What Skills
This skill can help us to remember the importance of being honest and fair to ourselves and the other person we are communicating with.
The FAST skill
This skill can help you distract away from the distressing situation, supporting you in getting through it one moment at a time.
If I were encouraging a client to practice this technique, I might say, "Listen to music you enjoy. Listen for the breeze, or the trees in the breeze. Listen for birds or waves of the water."
Auditory Self-Soothing
This skill calls us to pause, take a step back, observe the situation, and proceed mindfully.
The STOP skill
This grouping of skills asks you to focus on the way in which you engage in your experiences, Non-Judgmentally, One-mindfully, and Effectively
How Skills
This is a more in-depth communication technique that can help you navigate interpersonal conflict resolution in healthy way.
DEARMAN
This skill can be very helpful when you need to make a decision between two or more options.
Pros & Cons
If I were to encourage a client to utilize this technique, I might say, "Find a fragrance you enjoy, and smell fragrances around you. Smell a flower, or perfume, freshly cut grass, or the burning of wood in a fireplace."
Olfactory Self-Soothing (aromatherapy, smell)
This skill can be practiced by reframing unhelpful/unhealthy thoughts
This skill involves focusing on inhalation and exhalation to anchor awareness, it is also a component of the TIPP skill
Mindful (or paced) Breathing
It's helpful to remember to draw on the strength inherent in this skill especially when we notice feeling challenged with other people or situations surrounding emotions, thoughts, finances, time, topics of conversation, etc.
The Boundary Building skill
Some of the statements associated with this skill are:
"This situation is only temporary"
"I have dealt with difficulties before, I can deal with this too"
"Not everything will go my way, but I can be flexible"
Radical Acceptance
As part of this technique, I might suggest things like:
Intense Flavors: Use strong flavors like sour candy, mint, cinnamon, wasabi, or citrus to shock the system back to the present moment.
Sip & Savor: Sip tea, coffee, or cold water, sensing the temperature & flavor profile.
Gustatory Self-Soothing (taste)
This skill calls us to lean into working on something we are really interested in or passionate about
The Build Mastery Skill
This skill involves observing thoughts as passing events rather than absolute truths.
Thought Defusion
This composite skill is a combination of interpersonal effectiveness techniques beginning with Wise Mind followed up by tools such as DEARMAN, GIVE, FAST, Opposite Action, and Safety First.
Ending Toxic Relationships
This distress tolerance skill helps you replace the immediate event that has caused unpleasant emotions with a more positive act, thereby making the moment easier to tolerate.
The IMPROVE skill
This skill prompts you to name 5 things you can see, 4 things you can hear, 3 things you can touch, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste.
The 5-4-3-2-1 technique