#Mindfulness Lesson # 4: When you are in crisis, you may find yourself at the top of The Wave. You will experience Early Warning Signs and the following is a set of skills to help combat the EWSs and return to a calmer, rational state to avoid making unhealthy decisions Distress Tolerance; TIPP skills T is TEMPERATURE- most people notice a rise in temperature that can be regulated by putting ice in your palm and squeezing (focus on the sensation as it melts), splashing or submerging your face with cold water or going to a cold place. When you are cold, there is a biological response in your body that lowers your heart rate to keep you alive. Some people may get chills and feel cold in a crisis. In that case, you can give yourself a strong but comforting hug and/or rub your own arms vigorously to warm up to prevent going into shock I is INTENSE EXERCISE while exercise may warm you up, it will help you expend energy and distract you by causing you to focus more on what you are doing and breathing properly. It also helps connect your physical discomfort with something other than the emotions that originally caused it. P is PACED BREATHING which is simply breathing slowly and paying attention to your body and the feelings of inhaling and exhaling. It can help to breathe in for 4secs and out for 7sec which is actually harder than it sounds P is PAIRED ( or PROGRESSIVE) MUSCLE RELAXATION which is consciously paying attention to isolated parts of the body as you flex/tense different muscle groups and then release them. There are several examples in the pictures above. Keep in mind, not all skills can be used in every situation. Try them out in minor situations and see which ones work best for YOU. #TIPPskills #distresstolerance #dbt https://www.instagram.com/p/BxoNomRAcz_/?igshid=1ol5uft93kv65