Cold Water Dip
1. Fill up a sink, large pot, or large bowl with cold water, adding a few ice cubes or an ice pack if the tap water isn’t very cold.
2. Take a deep breath and put your full face into cold water so it covers your eyebrows and chin. Hold your face underwater, holding your breath, for 10-30 seconds.
3. Remove your face from the water, take a deep breath, and repeat placing your face into the water for 10-30 seconds 2 additional times.
4. Immediately distract yourself afterward or use another skill such as journaling or deep breathing and positive coping thoughts.
This skill works because it causes the “dive response” to occur. This response can actually help regulate your emotions and allow you to think clearly so that if you were diving into cold water you could avoid drowning. This will be useful as a distress tolerance strategy when you are having a very strong, distressing emotion, or when you are having very strong urges to engage in unwanted behaviors.
