Tag: distress tolerance
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Ice Packs for Anxiety
Anxiety can feel overwhelming, but sometimes the simplest tools bring the greatest relief. In this post, Dr. Christine Dickson explains how using ice packs can help calm racing thoughts, soothe physical symptoms, and ground you in the present moment — offering a quick, practical way to ease anxiety when it hits.
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ER Kit: Planning for Distress
Strong emotions can feel overwhelming, but preparing an emotional emergency kit can help you stay grounded during stressful times. In this article, Dr. Christine E. Dickson shares practical tips for creating a personalized kit—filled with comfort items, grounding tools, coping strategies, and emergency contacts—to support your mental health when life feels unpredictable.
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How to Use the STOP Skill
When emotions run high, it’s easy to react impulsively. The STOP technique—Stop, Take a breath, Observe, Proceed—offers a mindful way to pause and respond with clarity. In this article, Dr. Christine E. Dickson explains how to use this DBT skill in everyday life, so you can manage stress, improve relationships, and make more intentional choices.
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Using TIP to Tolerate Distress
When emotions feel overwhelming, the TIP skill—Temperature, Intense Exercise, and Paced Breathing—can help calm your body and mind fast. In this article, Dr. Christine E. Dickson explains how to use this DBT distress tolerance tool to reset your body chemistry, reduce anxiety, and regain control in moments of high stress.
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Pushing Away: A Distress Tolerance Tool
Emotions can’t always be controlled, but they can be managed with the right tools. The DBT skill “Pushing Away” helps create distance from overwhelming feelings so you can respond more calmly. In this article, Dr. Christine E. Dickson explains how to use this distress tolerance technique to pause, regroup, and approach emotions with greater clarity.
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How to Take Hold of the Mind
Before we can calm the mind, we must first calm the body. Meditation—through simple practices like breathing, mindful walking, or body scans—creates the foundation for taking hold of our thoughts. As Dr. Christine E. Dickson explains, learning to step back and observe the mind as a “witness” helps us see thoughts as stories rather than…
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3 Ways to Tolerate Stress and Anxiety
At times stress and anxiety can feel overwhelming, leaving us exhausted and drained. In this post, licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Christine E. Dickson shares practical tools for tolerating strong emotions. These strategies can help you move through difficult moments with greater resilience.
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7 Ways to Improve the Moment
Strong emotional reactions are an unavoidable part of life. From time to time, we will experience strong emotions due to stressful situations in our life. It could be anything from getting bad news to having an argument with a loved one. Strong emotional reactions are normal but most of us don’t know how to cope…
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Soothing Emotions with the Five Senses
Discover how soothing your five senses—sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste—can help you calm your mind and body. This guide explains simple self-soothing techniques that can reduce stress and restore emotional balance, even if you’ve never learned them before.