When we experience challenging life situations, we can unintentionally cause ourselves more emotional pain when we are unable to accept things as they are. Practicing the DBT skill of Radical Acceptance will help you build emotional resilience and lead a more balanced and fulfilling life.
The DBT self-soothe skills can help you learn how to tolerate distress and improve your ability to handle challenging situations. Using DBT strategies that focus on different sensory experiences, you can master self-soothing practices to relax and reduce stress levels.
We have all experienced emotional distress at times, weather from a frustrating conversation with a friend, troubles at work or school, or even running late for something important. Using DBT skills, such as the TIPP skills for distress tolerance, can help improve how you handle stressors.
When experiencing pain or distress, the DBT skill of IMPROVE the moment is a distress tolerance skill that can help by changing the way you think about the situation or yourself, changing physical sensations of stress (e.g. practicing tension and relaxation techniques), and engaging your mind in an effective way.
Often, it’s difficult to focus on the present moment. In this tenuous time, anxious thoughts can distract us from what is currently going on in our lives. Mindfulness is an essential practice for anxious times. It helps us combat anxiety and maintain a level head so that we can make effective decisions.