A.C.C.E.P.T.S.
The Power of Distraction
Have you ever been so overcome by emotion that you cannot think straight? Maybe you get a distressing text from a friend or family member or see something upsetting on the news. You might start to panic and pace and feel that all you can focus on are these disturbing thoughts and overwhelming emotions. It is almost impossible to come to a productive resolution when we are in this state. The emotional part of your mind is so powerful that it is not making room for the rational part of your brain to provide any input. It might be helpful to distract yourself in these moments, and no, this doesn’t mean pushing your problems under the rug and avoiding these emotions forever. Engaging in skills that provide us with distractions can help us tolerate our painful emotions more effectively in the present moment rather than stewing over them and making them worse. They can help us get through a crisis and feel more relaxed and in control of our behaviors, and in this way, we can return to our issue with a clearer, more rational mind.
Activities
Engage in an activity. What is something you can do that can consume your attention? Maybe it’s that art project you started a year ago that you never quite finished, or maybe there is a more minor task for work or school that you can knock out. I like to tell my clients to have three types of activities on hand: valued, routine, and enjoyable. Valued activities are quite literally activities that fit into your values. This could be tasks related to work or contacting/spending time with family. Routine activities are tasks that would usually go into your daily routine, such as brushing your teeth, taking a shower, or cooking a meal for yourself. Engaging in enjoyable activities truly allows you to focus on doing things you enjoy. This could be going for a walk, listening to your favorite artist, working out, spending time with friends, or doing something creative.
Contributing
A great way to take your mind off the problem at hand is by focusing on someone or something other than yourself. This could be volunteering or contributing to a cause, making dinner for someone special in your life, checking in with a friend or family member who may be going through a challenging time, complimenting someone, or giving a gift to your partner. Not only will doing these things distract you from your current situation, but we also tend to feel good about ourselves when we help others.
Comparisons
Can you think about a time when you were experiencing a more difficult situation than you are now? Rather than focusing on the challenging emotions during this time, think about the fact that those emotions were able to pass. You are strong and powerful, and that allowed you to get through that situation. Just as you were able to get through that tough time, you can get through this. It might also help to think about what helped you during that difficult time and try incorporating that into this present experience. If this time is the most acute situation you have ever experienced, try using a more intense skill to calm your nervous system.
Emotions
Have you noticed that when you’re feeling sad and put on sad music, it only makes the feeling stronger? As much as you hear Lana Del Rey or Phoebe Bridgers calling to you, this is a great opportunity to engage in a skill called opposite action. This means challenging the current emotion you’re feeling by engaging in something that evokes an opposite emotion. If you’re feeling sad, try watching a funny movie. It might be helpful to have a list on your notes app of some go-to funny movies, tiktoks, or happy songs you can turn to during these times.
Pushing Away
There might be times when you’re experiencing a distressing problem, but it’s not the best time or place to be dealing with it or trying to solve it. Rather than letting it consume you and take you away from the present moment, try to imagine a container in your mind. This could be a tupperware or a mason jar, whatever works for you. Imagine opening it up and placing your problem and all the distressing emotions that come with it into that container and closing the lid. Every time you feel distressing thoughts or emotions related to this problem creeping in, open the container up and put that in as well. This allows you to acknowledge that the problem is there, but it does not need to be solved right at that moment. This gives you the chance to calm your nervous system, get through the moment, and find a more appropriate time and place for you to open up the container and deal with the contents more effectively.
Thoughts
Although we might FEEL that our minds are racing at a particularly overwhelming time, we can actually only focus on one thought at a time. Try pulling yourself out of a distressing emotion or negative thought spiral by keeping your mind occupied with a mental grounding exercise. Try counting down from 50, say the alphabet forward or backward (something I have never been able to accomplish!), recite a poem or song in your head, and really focus on the lyrics or lines. If you need something more visual, try reading a book.
Sensations
One of the best ways to distract yourself from overwhelming thoughts or emotions is to focus on strong physical sensations that ignite one or more of your five senses. Try engaging in the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding skill. Getting chilly is a great way to calm down. Hold an ice cube, take a cold shower, fill a plastic baggy with ice, and rub it on your face, or even better, dip your face in a big bowl of ice water. This completely resets your nervous system by activating the “dive response,” slowing down your heart and redirecting blood flow to your heart and brain. Grab something nearby that you can smell, such as lotion or a candle. Intentionally focus on the scent and describe it in your head or out loud. Another way to “shock” the senses is by eating something sour. Lemon warhead-sucking candies or even a lemon itself can do wonders! It’s difficult for your body to focus on the panic sensations when it is distracted by the tartness and puckering sensation.
A.C.C.E.P.T.S. is just one of many distress tolerance skills that can help you manage your emotions in the moment without feeling overwhelmed. If you’re interested in learning more about these skills, the therapists at Root to Rise can help! Contact our Client Care Coordinator to find out which therapist would be best suited for your needs!
Warmly,
Marissa, APCC
