Which of the following is a TIP skill?

• A. Paced breathing
• B. Grounding
• C. Self-soothing
• D. Mindfulness

Answer: (A)

TIP skills are quick techniques to regulate intense arousal by directly affecting the body’s automatic systems, using three core actions: Temperature, Intense exercise, and Paced breathing. Paced breathing is the best example here because it directly modulates the autonomic nervous system, slowing the breath, lowering heart rate, and reducing hyperarousal or panic. Doing a brief paced-breathing drill—inhale through the nose for about four seconds, then exhale through the mouth for six seconds—repeats for a minute or two, and promotes a calmer state that helps you think more clearly and respond rather than react.

Other strategies like grounding, self-soothing, and mindfulness are valuable tools for managing distress, but they belong to different approaches. Grounding uses present-moment sensory cues to reconnect with the here-and-now; mindfulness builds nonjudgmental awareness of thoughts and feelings; self-soothing involves comforting actions to reduce distress. Within the TIP framework, the specific trio centers on Temperature, Intense exercise, and Paced breathing, making paced breathing the clear TIP skill.