Described in the Distress Tolerance module, this set of skills includes many ways to distract and can be remembered by the use of an acronym.
What is "Wise Mind ACCEPTS?"
100
Some consider this the hardest skill in DBT; it involves fully accepting something that you feel is unacceptable
What is Radical Acceptance?
100
A skill that involves seeing calming scenes in your "mind's eye."
What is using Imagery?
100
These skills work within seconds to minutes to bring down emotional arousal by changing our physiology.
What are theTIP skills?
100
A skill set in DBT that involves comforting, nurturing, gentle, and mindful kindness to oneself. Doing this for others tends to come naturally when we see someone upset.
What is self-soothing?
200
Many people do this already, it involves distracting the mind by doing something else like playing a game, surfing the internet or cleaning.
What is Distract with Activities?
200
This is an attitude that is often problematic. Usually your mind is screaming "Nooooo" when this attitude arises.
What is Wilfulness?
200
Using this skill involves taking a break from a stressful situation, temporarily.
What is a brief Vacation?
200
Slowing down your inhaling for a count of 4 and exhaling for a count of 6 is an example of how you might practice this skill.
What is paced breathing?
200
These five senses may be used in self-soothing.
What are vision, hearing, smell, taste, and touch?
300
This involves distracting by doing something nice for someone else.
What is Contributing?
300
A skill that involves relaxing your facial muscles and turning up the corners of your mouth
What is Half Smile?
300
This involves focusing your entire attention on just what you are doing, letting go of thoughts from the past or future.
What is One thing in the Moment?
300
This DBT skill induces the human dive reflex.
What is tipping your face in cold water?
300
Boiling cinnamon, lighting a scented candle or using aromatherapy are examples of this skill.
What is self-soothing with scent
400
Many people hate this skill but it involves thinking of someone else who may have it worse than you do.
What is Comparisons?
400
According to Linehan, this attitude involves allowing the world to be just as it is, even when you wish it were different.
What is willingness?
400
This skill involves trying to calm your muscles in an effort to relax your mind. An example might be taking a hot bath or self-massage.
What is Relaxation?
400
Making fists with both hands for 10 seconds and letting might be one part of using this skill.
What is paired muscle relaxation?
400
A specific meditation considered soothing by many, this exercise involves shifting your focus over the parts of your body while focusing on the breath.
What is a body scan meditation?
500
This is a strange skill in which you may do something that tends to evoke a very strong emotion but it may reduce your current emotion.
What is distracting with different Emotions?
500
This is what Linehan calls the tension and angst caused by non-acceptance.
What is suffering?
500
This skill involves finding a sense of purpose in the painful situation that you are trying to tolerate.
What is Meaning?
500
Sympathetic and parasympathetic branches
What are the two parts of the nervous system?
500
This sense often impacts us powerfully as it is DIRECTLY connected to our emotional brain, unlike the other four senses which are channeled through the brain's thalamus.