The next letter in our distress tolerance acronym IMPROVE is O, which stands for “One thing in the moment.”
If you bring old emotional issues into a already distressing situation, you can make things worse. Focus on the present moment, on the issue of this moment. Do your best to leave old problems where they are for now. As the saying goes, be here now. Focus your entire attention on physical sensations that accompany physical tasks such as walking, doing dishes, other kinds of cleaning, etc. Use exercises to help you be aware of your body in the moment. Animals can also help us stay present as we give them attention.
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