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3 DBT Skills I Use Every Day

What are DBT Skills? Maryland therapist Ahmna Khan explains.

DBT stands for Dialectal Behavior Therapy. DBT is a type of therapy used to help individuals learn the skills they need to reduce extreme reactions to extreme, harmful or overwhelming emotions.  There are many different skills taught in DBT. The skills can be used together or on their own. In this article, I am going to be discussing three of the DBT skills that I try to incorporate into my daily routine!

1) Mindfulness

As human beings there may be times where we are in stressful situations and may not know how to respond or react. Sometimes when life hits you, you may start to feel anxious or uncomfortable. Mindfulness is an essential skill in DBT, used to address these emotions. Practicing this skill can make us fully in tune with our emotions. The goal is to allow ourselves to pay attention to our thoughts and feelings.

Mindfulness allows me to become more productive with my thoughts. And decrease the judgmental or negative mindset I may have. By practicing mindfulness, I can make the decisions that I feel are best for me, feeling little to no regret.

There are great mindfulness tools available online, including a few for kids on our YouTube channel, for those who’d like more guidance. The only equipment required is your own mind and a moment of your time.

2) Setting Goals

Setting goals is such an important part of my weekly routine! DBT teaches you how to make SMART goals which stands for the following:

S-Specific

M-Meaningful

A-Achievable

R-Recordable

T-Timeline Plan

It is important to me that I make goals I know that I can achieve within a timeline that I feel is realistic. With setting goals, I am able to keep myself motivated and productive throughout the week!

 

3)  Emotional Regulation

DBT teaches us how to understand our emotions more clearly. But it also teaches us how to manage the emotional ups and downs of everyday life. Overall emotional regulation can be improved via lifestyle choices. Some of the things I do to help with emotional regulation include engaging in physical activity, eating balanced meals and trying to get enough sleep.

Emotional regulation is also supported by engaging in self-validation and practicing positive thinking. Especially when you may be experiencing a stressful situation. Remember that you are doing the best you can with the skills you have. And you’re continuously getting better and better.

I encourage you to incorporate one or more of these skills into your daily/weekly routine to allow yourself to free your mind from whatever stressful situations life may put you through! Practicing DBT skills can allow you to become more productive with your decision making, while also allowing you to process your emotions in the most healthy way possible.

If you’d more support learning to manage emotions, set boundaries, or handle family conflict, we can help! Request an appointment today.