There are many ways to cope with life's stressors, and not all of them are healthy. Shireen Rizvi and Jesse Finkelstein, co-authors of Real Skills for Real Life: A DBT Guide to Navigating Stress, Emotions, and Relationships, use engaging diagrams and illustrations to teach effective ways to accept distress and respond to it effectively. As a board-certified dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) therapist, Rizvi shares a set of techniques from her book called TIP, which stands for temperature, intense exercise, paced breathing and paired muscle relaxation. She says these four skills can help in moments when you're so distressed you can't think straight
🌡️ Temperature: Plunge your face, eyes and temples into a bowl of cold water and ice for as long as possible. This triggers the mammalian dive reflex, which helps mammals increase their chances of survival by slowing their heart and respiratory rates.
🏃♀️ Intense exercise: Do something to get your heart rate up quickly, such as running up stairs. You should sustain that movement for 30 seconds or longer. When you stop, and your heart rate decreases, you'll feel calmer.
🏃♀️ Paced breathing: Make your exhales longer than your inhales. This will help avoid hyperventilating, slow your heart rate and reduce emotional intensity.
💪 Paired muscle relaxation: Tense your muscles as tight as you can and then release them, one muscle group at a time. Breathe in as you clench and breathe out as you relax. Pair your exhales with a calming word. You get a greater sense of relaxation this way than if you try to relax without tensing the muscle first, Rizvi says.
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