| Written by Sam Schussler, MS, LAC
Do you find yourself incapacitated by intense emotions? Have you experienced intense anxiety, panic, or sadness? Are you struggling to reduce emotional distress? Many of us find ourselves struggling to manage our intense emotions, including anxiety, anger, and sadness, among many others. For many people, pushing away or ignoring their emotions is a go-to coping skill. According to the work of Marsha Linehan, there are skills that can help reduce our emotional reactivity in a quick and effective manner. Linehan created a set of coping skills under her therapeutic approach called Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). DBT sets out to address four topics: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. I believe that her distress tolerance skill, TIPP, is an easy place to start.
TIPP is an acronym that stands for Temperature, Intense Exercise, Paced Breathing, and Progressive Muscle Relaxation. In this article we will explore what these skills are, why you may find them beneficial, and how to practice them.
Temperature
Have you ever jumped into a cold pool? If so, you know that it’s hard to focus on anything else besides the frigidness surrounding you. These dips in our temperature trigger the mammalian dive reflex which sends signals to the brain to slow things down. This rapid change can reduce the physiological state our bodies are in and cause slower heart rate, which helps calm you down.
You can practice this skill by taking a cold shower, holding ice cubes, or dunking your face into a bowl of ice water for 10 seconds.
Intense Exercise
Exercise helps us to work off energy. When we feel heightened emotions, we often have pent up energy that works to overwhelm and further upset us. Exercise reduces muscle tension, improves sleep, decreases stress hormones, and releases endorphins that improve mood and reduce anxiety. Utilizing exercise helps us to shed excess energy and improve our ability to self-regulate with the next two steps of the TIPP skill.
You can practice this skill by going for a run or brisk walk, doing jumping jacks, or even dancing to some upbeat music.
Paced Breathing
Now that you have worked off your excess energy, it’s time to slow things down. Taking deep, full breaths helps to relax the body and the mind. Allowing our exhale to be longer than our inhale sends signals to the brain that we are in a situation where we can be calm and let our guard down.
You can practice this skill with a variety of breathing techniques. For example, take a deep breath in for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, exhale for 8, and repeat at least 3 times. Another technique is square breathing where you breathe in for 4, hold for 4, breathe out for 4, hold for 4, and repeat. You can look on YouTube for videos that walk you through a variety of breathing techniques.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)
Progressive Muscle Relaxation, or PMR, is a technique that works to relax each muscle group individually. To practice this exercise, you will need to sit or lay down in a comfortable position. You will begin by tensing the muscles in your feet and toes (without straining or hurting yourself) for 10 seconds. You will then release your muscles and notice the difference between tension and relaxation. You will continue this exercise by working your way up your body, tensing and relaxing each muscle group as you go along. You can find countless PMR videos online by searching for “progressive muscle relaxation”. These videos include options from 5 minutes to 30 minutes and beyond.
You can practice this exercise with this 10 minute YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7QoBABZu8k&ab_channel=EatingRecoveryCenter
Everyone struggles with self-regulation and emotion management at times. Using the TIPP skill is one way to reduce anxiety and stress while increasing pleasant emotions. If you are looking to improve your coping skills, don’t hesitate to reach out for help. Engaging in therapy can lead to decreased mental health symptoms and improved self-regulation. A licensed mental health professional can assist you in overcoming these challenges.
Outside of the practice, Sam enjoys crocheting, painting, practicing yoga, and playing games.
My favorite quote is “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul” by William Ernest Henley. To me, this quote shows us that only we are the ones in charge of our lives and that we alone have the power to make positive and lasting change.
Check out Sam’s professional bio here.
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- Get more information on insomnia from the Mayo Clinic.
- Resources for Youtube channels that offer guided meditation and relaxation: Youtube Meditation Channel List
