ACCEPTS is a short term distress tolerance skill to help you deal with intense emotions. It is used during a shirt term crisis when there is a strong need for distraction to prevent the situation from escalating. It’s difficult to think of distractions during a crisis so I have put together this little collection to help.
Print this list out, add to it or even write your own and include it in your self soothe box for easy access.
To keep this post short and sweet I won’t write anymore here but be sure to check my post about the ACCEPTS skill for a better understanding on how to utilise it during difficult times.
ACCEPTS distractions
001. watch tv
002. clean and organise something
003. do a jigsaw puzzle
004. play a game
005. colour in
006. open up your self soothe box
007. go for a walk
008. follow some helpful mh accounts on social media
009. try a writing out a brain dump
010. make plans with a friend
011. go out for coffee
012. go out somewhere nice and take photos of things you like
013. call a friend
014. read a book
015. listen to a podcast
016. create a playlist of your favourite songs
017. watch your favourite childhood tv show
018. paint a picture
019. scroll tik tok
020. look at some fun or interesting memes
021. sing along to some sings
022. learn to crochet (there are a bunch of cute free patterns online!)
023. text/call a support service or helpline
024. find an online event to attend (this is perfect for if you find leaving the house difficult. There are lots of free events on Eventbrite and similar websites)
025. write a bunch of motivational quotes on post it notes and stick them all around your room
026. watch your comfort shows
027. cuddle a stuffed animal
028. bake a cake and decorate it
029. do some fun online quizzes
030. eat ice cream (good one to implement the STOPP skill too ;))
[…] a look at our ACCEPTS specific list of distraction techniques so you have a list at hand for whenever you may need […]