Improving the Moment

A way to remember these skills is with the word IMPROVE.

With Imagery:

Imagine very relaxing scenes.
Imagine a secret room within yourself. Furnish it the way you like. Close and lock the door on anything that can hurt you.
Imagine everything going well.
Make up a calming fantasy world.

Imagine hurtful emotions draining out of you like water out of a pipe.
Remember a happy time and imagine yourself in it again. Play out the time in your mind again and again.
Other:

With Meaning:

Find purpose or meaning in a painful situation.
Focus on whatever positive aspects of a painful situation you can find.
Repeat these positive aspects in your mind.

Remember, listen to, or read about spiritual values.
Other:

With Prayer:

Open your heart to whatever higher being you may believe in or to your own Wise Mind.
Ask for strength to bear the pain.

Turn things over to whatever higher being you may believe in.
Other:

With Relaxing actions:

Take a hot bath.
Drink hot milk.
Massage your neck and scalp.

Practice yoga or other stretching.
Breathe deeply.
Other:

With One thing in the moment:

Focus your entire attention on just what you are doing.
Keep yourself in the moment.
Put your mind in the present.

Focus your entire attention on the physical.
See mindfulness skills for more information.
Other:

With a brief Vacation:

Give yourself a brief vacation.
Get in bed; pull the covers up over your head.
Go to the beach or the woods for the day.
Get a magazine and read it with chocolates.

Turn off your phone for a while.
Take a blanket to the park and sit on it for a whole afternoon.
Take a one-hour breather from hard work.
Take a brief vacation from responsibility.
Other:

With self-Encouragement and rethinking the situation:

Cheerlead yourself: "You can do it!"
"I will make it out of this."
"I'm doing the best I can."
Repeat over and over: "I can stand it."

"This too shall pass."
"I will be okay."
"This won't last forever."
Other: