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DBT worksheet export
ACCEPTS Distraction Plan
The ACCEPTS worksheet helps you use healthy distraction on purpose so intense emotions have time to come down before you solve the real problem.
What this worksheet is for
ACCEPTS is a DBT distress-tolerance skill that uses seven types of distraction to get through distress without making it worse.
How to use it
- Read the full skill once before writing.
- Use the examples below to spot where it fits real life.
- Complete the reflection page using the answers you already typed or by writing directly on the PDF.
At a glance
Primary topic: accepts dbt worksheet
Worksheet type: Priority worksheet
Best for: Short-term crisis survival when problem-solving too early would only escalate the moment.
How to practice it
Activities
Engage in something absorbing—clean, craft, game, cook, watch a show—anything constructive that takes your focus off the distress.
Contributing
Shift attention outward. Text encouragement, do a roommate’s chore, donate, or help a colleague finish a task.
Comparisons
Remember times you coped well or setbacks others have survived. Note what is better now than before.
Emotions
Evoke a different emotion intentionally—watch a comedy, listen to energizing music, or read something hopeful.
Pushing Away
Set the problem aside mentally for a short time. Visualize placing it in a container, or schedule “worry time” later.
Thoughts
Occupy your mind. Count backward by 7s, recite song lyrics, list dog breeds alphabetically, or do a crossword puzzle.
Sensations
Stimulate your senses—hold ice, use aromatherapy, chew peppermint, take a hot/cold shower, or wrap in a weighted blanket.
Real-world examples
You’re waiting on scary medical results. Instead of doomscrolling, you bake cookies (Activities) and drop encouraging notes to friends (Contributing). You remember healthier chapters (Comparisons) and watch a feel-good movie (Emotions). You plan to revisit the worry with your partner after dinner (Pushing away).
You crave self-harm after a breakup. You text a DBT buddy to check in (Contributing) and count backwards from 100 by sevens (Thoughts). You hold an ice cube (Sensations) and play a hype playlist to shift the emotional channel (Emotions).
Before you write
Pick one situation you are actually likely to face this week. The activity page works best when you complete it for a real moment instead of a hypothetical one.
Worksheet activity
Practice Activity
Build an ACCEPTS toolbox. List specific options for each letter so you can reach for them fast when distress hits.
Reflect and write
Activities: Which hobbies or chores absorb you?
Contributing: Who or what can you support when you need distraction?
Comparisons & Emotions: What memories or media help shift perspective?
Thoughts & Sensations: What mental games or sensory tools work best for you?