DBTuesday: IMPROVE the moment - a distress tolerance skill
Hey there everyone!
To follow up on last DBTuesday, we’re going to focus on another distress tolerance skill called IMPROVE. The distress tolerance skills and this specific skill is to use when having to tolerate distress and manage frustrations that come up in your life as it’s unfortunately easy to be stuck in situations where we can’t do anything (at all or at least not right away) to solve the crisis/problem…
I for Imagery – take yourself to a calm place in your mind, picture a beach or comforting place or imagine the situation turning out better than expected.
M for Meaning – create or find meaning from the current challenge : what can I learn from this situation? Can I learn how to handle this stressor better? Can I grow in any way?
P for Prayer – it doesn’t have to be religious (or it can be), sometimes we can pray the universe (or who/whatever suits you best of course) or even word prayers as hopes we have and that can help us have more faith/energy/patience.
R for Relax – relax, especially when you’re feeling frustrated or angry, as it can impact your mood and the way you see the situation.
O for One thing in the moment – doing something keeping you in the moment unrelated to the crisis currently happening can really help your brain settle down, reduce the intensity of your feelings and avoid catastrophizing the situation. It can be bouncing your leg, reading a paper, focusing on your breathing, washing the dishes, using mindfulness skills…
V for Vacation – take a break from the situation : it can be planning future vacations to look forward to, or even just a vacation for one evening where you’re going to watch a good movie, eat nice food, take care of yourself and avoid thinking about the task/crisis at hand (or even just a 10 minutes break!)
E for Encouragement – be your own cheerleader! This one can be tough so it can be helpful to imagine that you’re talking to a friend and supporting them, unless you’re saying all the supporting things to yourself.
Discussion questions ~
How do you usually handle situations where you can’t do anything to lessen your stress or improve the situation?
Are there some parts of the IMPROVE skill that you’re already using?
Are there some new parts of the IMPROVE skill that you’d like to try out/start using?
Thanks for reading, don’t hesitate to share your thoughts or questions about this!
Waves ~
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@LinearWaves
Hiya waves, how gos, hope your doing pawsome today!
How do you usually handle situations where you can’t do anything to lessen your stress or improve the situation?
I usually get really frustrated emotional
Are there some parts of the IMPROVE skill that you’re already using?
I try to visilusise, but I get so caught up in my emotions it becomes hard to focus. Trying to think about a better time.
Are there some new parts of the IMPROVE skill that you’d like to try out/start using? Planning breaks could be good, ima read more about this.
Thanks for the post, this is really helpful for people I think. This is great information thanks for putting this together.
Hang tough stay pawsome ur friend 🔥
@Fireskye13 When I feel really really emotionally overwhelmed, I use TIPP skills.
@StarlitSky4762
Thanks for the tip I'll definitely look it up.
@Fireskye13
Heya! Sorry for the delay! Thanks for your feedback, have you had time to start planning breaks yet?
Thanks for participating, take care!
@LinearWaves
Planning is difficult for me but working on it.
@Fireskye13
I'm proud of you for working on it! I do agree with you on that, planning can be tough... Do you know what specific aspect of planning is blocking you though or it's just the general act of planning that is hard?
How do you usually handle situations where you can’t do anything to lessen your stress or improve the situation? - I just deal with it and change what I can and don't worry about the rest
Are there some parts of the IMPROVE skill that you’re already using? - I do the Imagery,and relaxtion
Are there some new parts of the IMPROVE skill that you’d like to try out/start using? - I think I want to start doing the one thing or try the vacation!
@Goldcherry2113
Heya ! I’m really sorry about the delay !
It sounds like you have an amazing mindset when it comes to dealing with stressful situations, it’s really great to hear and the best mindset possible to have!
Have you had the occasion to try out the one thing or vacation yet?
Thanks for participating, take care!
I find cleaning can be a great way to feel back in controll, if I can't controll a situation I can controll what my home looks like, also it burns energy from adrenaline. Also for panic attacks I rinse my wrists under the cold tap, not sure why but it helps controll my breathing :)
@insecure1992
Heya ! Sorry for my late reply !
You’re totally right with cleaning! I wasn’t sure if it was just me but I do find too that sometimes cleaning my place also “cleans” my mind and sorts my thoughts! Plus it definitely burns some energy and it also means doing something productive, which feels satisfying afterwards!
Temperature/feelings can definitely be of great help when dealing with panic attacks, the wrists are a very sensitive area so it might be why it’s so helpful! Plus the water flow also has something soothing about it!
Thanks for sharing all your tips, it’s great to get others’ insights! Take care!
