ACCEPTS (Activities, Contributing, Comparisons, Emotions, Pushing away, Thoughts, Sensations)

A seven-element set of distraction techniques for an acute crisis. It is not a solution to the problem, but a way of getting through the moment without making things worse: redirecting attention, lowering intensity, and lasting until deeper work becomes possible. Each element is a separate switching strategy that the client picks for themselves.

Step-by-step guide

1. A — Activities: a walk, cleaning, sport, a hobby — physical redirection
2. C — Contributing: help someone — shifting the focus from the self to others
3. C — Comparisons: recall the worst moment you have lived through — contextualization
4. E — Emotions (opposite): comedy when sad, energetic music when apathetic
5. P — Pushing away: mentally postpone the problem to a specific time
6. T — Thoughts: counting from 100 down, retelling a film plot, doing a puzzle
7. S — Sensations: ice in the hand, a cold shower, a sharp taste — intense physical stimulation

When to use

• In an acute crisis (suicidality, self-harm, panic attack)
• When the client is not ready for deep work
• In the gap between a crisis and getting help
• As the first line of self-regulation
• To lower the intensity before deeper work

Key phrases

Follow-up questions

Alternative phrasings