Have you ever felt like your emotions were so intense that they were in control instead of you? Maybe you experienced a time when you were dealing with something challenging that was difficult to make it through without falling apart. Or you may even remember a time when you weren’t able to fully express yourself clearly and concisely. These are all experiences that dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) can help with.
DBT is a type of therapy that teaches practical skills to help manage emotions and stress as well as improve your interpersonal relationships. Let’s learn more about what these DBT skills are all about and how they can help you in your daily life and routine.
Mindfulness
A lot of anxiety comes from worrying about past or future events. When you incorporate mindfulness into your everyday life, you’re working toward staying grounded and present in the moment. Mindfulness is all about being able to pay attention and focus on what’s happening around you in the current moment.
DBT incorporates mindfulness in helping you pay closer attention to the thoughts and feelings that you’re experiencing without judging them or acting impulsively. With the help of DBT and mindfulness, you’ll learn how to focus on the present moment—even when it may be difficult to do so—let go of any distractions, and find a balance between your logical and emotional thinking.
Distress Tolerance
Life is filled with ups and downs. When life throws you a curveball and you’re left with having to navigate a difficult situation, distress tolerance can help you get through these tough moments without making things worse. Instead of trying to immediately fix everything or escape it, you can learn how to do the following:
- Accept what you can’t change
- Distract yourself in healthy ways
- Self-soothe using your own senses
- Incorporate tools (e.g., moving your body, deep breathing, changing your body temperature) to quickly calm down
Emotional Regulation
Everyone experiences a variety of different emotions throughout their day. This is completely normal, and we all experience big emotions from time to time. The key is learning how to deal with these big emotions in ways that don’t overwhelm you.
Emotional regulation skills can help you better understand what you’re feeling and the reasons behind the feelings. This understanding can significantly reduce the severity and frequency of emotional outbursts. Over time, with practice and patience, you’ll learn how to become a bit more emotionally stable. You’ll also be better equipped to be less reactive when faced with intense emotions.
Interpersonal Effectiveness
Relationships can be complicated. This can be true for personal, professional, or romantic relationships. DBT can help you set boundaries, stay true to your values and beliefs, and actually commit to saying “no” when you don’t want to do something.
Through practice in DBT, you’ll also be better prepared to ask for what you need without coming off as passive or aggressive. This interpersonal effectiveness will help you get along with the people in your life and maintain strong bonds without losing sight of yourself.
Why DBT Skills Matter
These skills can help anyone who is feeling easily frustrated, overwhelmed, or unsure of how they can overcome difficult emotional situations. You don’t have to have a diagnosis to benefit from DBT. The skills are clear, learnable, and practical. Practice makes perfect. The more you practice, the more confident you’ll become in handling everything that life throws your way.
Next Steps
DBT skills can help you create and live a more balanced and meaningful life. Interested in learning more about DBT therapy and how it can benefit you? Reach out today to set up an initial consultation.
