You don’t have to explain your emotions to deserve support.
Crying more than usual? Bursting into tears when you're overwhelmed, exhausted, or anxious? You’re not weak, broken, or "too sensitive." You might just need nervous system tools that actually work.
This guide will show you how to use TIPP skills from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to calm your body when your emotions feel too big to handle.
Why Crying Happens (Especially If You Cry "Too Much")
Crying is a nervous system release. It often shows up when:
You're overloaded mentally or emotionally
You're experiencing rejection sensitivity or shame
You're stuck in fight, flight, or freeze
You're tired, hungry, overstimulated, or burnt out
Instead of forcing yourself to "stay strong," try offering your body the regulation it’s asking for.
That’s where TIPP comes in.
What Are TIPP Skills?
TIPP stands for:
Temperature
Intense Exercise
Paced Breathing
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
These are fast-acting, body-based tools used in DBT to regulate intense emotions like panic, rage, or overwhelm. They calm your physiology so you can come back online, reset, and respond with more clarity.
These aren’t mindset shifts. They’re nervous system resets.
Try This 4-Step TIPP Reset
1. Temperature
Cool your body to activate your calming reflex.
Try:
Splashing cold water on your face
Holding an ice cube or cold pack to your cheeks
Dipping your face in cold water for 15 seconds
Why it helps: Triggers the "dive reflex" to slow your heart rate and ground you fast.
2. Intense Exercise
Burn off adrenaline in 60 seconds.
Try:
Jumping jacks, running in place, or shadowboxing
Shaking out your arms, dancing to loud music
Why it helps: Releases pent-up stress hormones so your system can settle.
3. Paced Breathing
Reset your breath, reset your brain.
Try:
Inhale for 4, hold for 2, exhale for 6
Box breathing: Inhale 4 → Hold 4 → Exhale 4 → Hold 4
Why it helps: Activates your parasympathetic nervous system and tells your body it’s safe.
4. Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Tense and release muscles to shift out of freeze.
Try:
Start at your feet and move up: tense for 5 seconds, then let go
Notice the difference between tension and softness
Why it helps: Helps release trapped tension and reboots your awareness.
These Skills Are Small, But They’re Not Minor
You don’t need to push emotions away. You need to feel safe enough to move through them.
TIPP gives you immediate tools when you can’t think straight, talk it out, or journal through it.
They’re especially useful for:
ADHD shutdowns
Panic attacks
Sensory overload
Trauma triggers
Emotional spirals at night
Need Support in the Moment?
💬 Elara is our free, trauma-informed chatbot trained in DBT and peer support. She can walk you through a TIPP skill in real-time when you’re on the edge.
Or download the free DBT Pocket Book — a printable guide with grounding tools, emotional resets, and support for when you're overwhelmed.
You don’t have to cry your way through everything alone.
Related Pages:
Distress Tolerance • Emotion Regulation • Chat with Elara