Distress Tolerance Mastering Accepts Skills to Manage Distress
The ACCEPTS skills are a set of effective coping strategies to help you handle intense emotions and distress without reacting impulsively. Each letter represents a way to distract yourself or soothe your mind and body during difficult moments. Using these skills can help you stay safe, calm, and regain control when emotions feel overwhelming.
ACCEPTS Breakdown
Activities: Engaging in active pursuits, like watching a movie, playing a game, or cleaning, to take your mind off the distressing situation. Contributing: Focusing on doing something nice for someone else, such as volunteering, donating, or offering help. Comparisons: Reflecting on how others have handled similar challenges, finding inspiration in their resilience. Emotions: Deliberately experiencing emotions different from the current one, such as listening to uplifting music or watching a comedy. Pushing away: Temporarily blocking or pushing away the painful situation or emotion from your mind. Thoughts: Engaging in activities that can distract from negative thought patterns, such as writing or reading. Sensations: Focusing on physical sensations to ground yourself and distract from overwhelming feelings.
Which ACCEPTS skill feels easiest or most useful for you right now?
Describe a recent situation where you could have used one of these skills. Which one would you choose?
How will you apply this skill the next time you feel overwhelmed? What result do you expect?
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