Recovery guide
ACCEPTS Skill: safe distraction for hard moments
A distress-tolerance skill for creating space through activities, contribution, emotions, thoughts, and the senses.
A — Activities
Choose an activity that safely occupies your attention: take a walk, organize something, draw, cook, play a simple game, or complete a small task.
C — Contributing
Help someone or contribute in a manageable way. Send encouragement, do a useful chore, volunteer briefly, or offer your attention to another person.
C — Comparisons
Compare the current moment with a time you made it through before, or remember that other people also experience difficult emotions. Use perspective to create space, not to dismiss what you feel.
E — opposite Emotions
Choose an experience that brings up a different emotion, such as a funny show, uplifting music, a comforting story, or something inspiring.
P — Pushing away
Imagine placing the problem in a box or on a shelf for now. Tell yourself you will return to it later, then redirect your attention to the present task.
T — Thoughts
Give your mind a neutral job: count objects, repeat a phrase, describe what you see, solve a puzzle, or plan a simple route.
S — Sensations
Use a safe sensory experience such as cool water, a warm drink, music, a textured object, or a shower. Distraction is a pause, not denial; return to the problem when you have more room.