Distraction

Distraction is a helpful psychological technique and ‘life skill.’ Used in the right amount and with the right motivation it an incredibly adaptive coping strategy. Think of the last time you visited the dentist for a filling—was it helpful to distract yourself from the procedure? And if it was, then why can’t distraction be helpful for your patients too? Conceptually, grounding techniques are a form of distraction, and other techniques such as worry postponement require distraction from intrusive worries. There is evidence that distraction is an effective strategy for tackling depressive rumination (Fennell & Teasdale, 1984) and that it is as effective as cognitive restructuring for tolerating pain (Kohl, Rief, & Glombiewski, 2013).

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References

  • Fennell, M. J. V., & Teasdale, J. D. (1984). Effects of distraction on thinking and affect in depressed patients. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 23(1), 65–66.

  • Kohl, A., Rief, W., & Glombiewski, J. A. (2013). Acceptance, cognitive restructuring, and distraction as coping strategies for acute pain. The Journal of Pain, 14(3), 305–315.

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