Mindfulness - Marsh Psychology Group

An Introduction to Dialectical Behavior Therapy: 1. Mindfulness

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an evidenced-based type of psychotherapy developed to help individuals manage emotions and symptoms of mental illness. It includes four different modules that will be explained in a series starting with Mindfulness in this article.

Mindfulness has become a buzz word in recent years, and for good reason. Being mindful is increasingly challenging as our lives become more focused on technology, and most of us are running on auto-pilot to manage our packed schedules. Mindfulness is simply paying attention to the present without judgment, being aware of what is happening in your mind, in your body, and in your surroundings. It is easy enough to see how detached we can become from the present when we think of an activity like driving. Do you have full awareness of your actions every time you use your blinker or look in the mirror? Something we tend to do so often becomes automatic, to the point we might not even fully remember getting from one point to another!

While this lack of awareness has become the norm, it can cause problems with our mental health. When we go through the motions without checking in with ourselves to notice how we are feeling and responding to things, we become ungrounded and detached from ourselves and our experiences.

Learning to become more mindful in our everyday lives is a process that takes time, but even starting with small practices can help. Mindfulness is the foundation for being able to improve our emotional experience and mental health.

DBT teaches the following ideas for mindfulness:

1. Observe – pay attention to the present moment, including what is happening in your mind, in your body, and in your surroundings.

2. Describe – take what you have observed and put it into words.

3. Participate – fully engage in whatever you are doing in the present moment. For example if you are driving, try limiting distractions such as the radio and participate as fully as possible in the activity.

4. Non-judgmental – work on observing without assigning a judgment of good or bad to it. Simply notice what is.

5. One mind – do only one thing at a time, to increase your awareness of that one thing.

6. Effectiveness – do what works best for you, and if something does not serve you, try something else.

Here are some ways to build mindfulness skills:

– Practice yoga. Yoga naturally helps connect your mind and body, and teaches awareness of your physical experience in the moment.

– Use your 5 senses. For example, the next time you eat something focus all of your awareness on the experience in as much detail as possible. Notice the taste, texture, temperature, smell.

– Body scan. Sit or lie down in a quiet, comfortable place. Take time to focus inwardly on your body, and start by observing a few breaths. Then, starting with your toes, take a moment to observe what you feel in that area of your body. Work your way up to your head, stopping to notice different parts of your body as your awareness travels upward.

– Journal. Start a daily practice of taking a few minutes to journal about your experience, your thoughts and feelings about the day. Work on writing without judging yourself or your experience. Simply write whatever comes up in the moment.

If you feel you need more guidance to incorporate mindfulness skills and improve your mental health, a licensed mental health professional can help.

-Laura Gross, LMSW

Marsh Psychology Group

248-860-2024

Linehan, M. M. (2014). DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets. New York: Guildford Press