My Favorite DBT Skill Anyone Can Do
For those of you who aren’t familiar with DBT, let me give you a quick rundown.
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a type of psychotherapy. It was first designed to treat borderline personality disorders. But, it has been adapted to treat a wide variety of mental health concerns and diagnoses. In DBT therapy, clients learn how to:
Be present in the moment
Regulate their emotions
Better tolerate distress
And improve their relationships with others
People who are going through DBT often do both individual therapy and join a DBT skills group.
Even if you have never been to therapy before or you’re not what I lovingly refer to as “couch broken,” you can still benefit from practicing certain DBT skills in everyday life. In fact, installing skills like my favorite ABC PLEASE is important for everyone. Not only clients who are in distress.
"ABC PLEASE" is a DBT skill designed to help you learn to regulate your emotions. This is accomplished through self-care and physical care.
Think about this:
Imagine for a second that you’re someone who has trouble caring for your physical and mental health. You feel pretty crummy. Then, you trip and spill your coffee. How would that make you feel?
… Pretty bad, right?! You may yell, cuss, get angry, or even cry.
Now, imagine you we’re caring for your body and the same thing happened, would you still get so upset? Likely not. You would be able to cope with the irritation you feel over spilling your coffee and go on with your day.
The goal of ABC PLEASE is to help you master the skills necessary to care for your mind and body. This way, you can learn to be less emotionally reactive. ABC skills are designed to boost your mood and improve your mental state. The PLEASE skills are designed to care for your physical health. This is because your physical health has a direct impact on your mental health.
ABC PLEASE stands for:
A= Accumulate Positive Emotions
It’s very important for people who are reactive in an emotional way to do things that bring them joy. For example, you can watch a feel-good movie, spend time with a loved one or pet, or play a game you love.
B= Build Mastery
Building mastery helps you feel like a successful individual. It naturally boosts your self-esteem. That in turn, improves your mood and helps you problem solve easier during tough times.
C= Cope Ahead
This skill involves knowing how to expect a challenging event before it occurs. It also involves having tools to deal with possible emotional distress when it occurs. This is a key component of DBT therapy.
One thing you can do to cope with distress is to build a self-soothe kit. You can make this yourself by putting things together that calm you when you feel agitated. Everyone puts in different things. But, some common items include:
A fidget toy
Putty or molding clay
Something soft
Lotion with a calming smell, etc.
Use this kit in moments of distress so you don’t lash out or do something impulsive.
PL= Physical health
If you don’t care for your physical health and treat illness, then it may harm your mood.
E= Eat well
Healthy eating habits are an important part of caring for your physical health. If you eat too much junk food then you’re likely to feel sluggish which has negative impacts on your mood.
A= Avoid Mood Altering Substances
It’s vital you avoid mood-altering substances such as drugs and alcohol. These can impair your ability to deal with hard situations or emotions. Although it’s not a substance, I believe you should also avoid any form of news, social media, or technology that has negative effects on your mood.
S= Sleep
Good sleep and proper sleep hygiene are vital to both your physical and mental health. When you sleep well you feel better.
E= Exercise
Research has been shown to improve your physical health. But, it can also boost feel-good hormones which improve your mood.
What You Need to Know About ABC PLEASE
Please know that you don’t have to do all these things at one time. Actually, doing that can be a recipe for disaster. Instead, do it a little bit at a time. Pick a few skills to start with. When you’ve mastered those, move on to others you need to work on. Continue this until you’re taking care of yourself well without prompting.
If you’re interested in DBT, I encourage you to join our DBT skills group. This group invites new members to join at any time as long as they complete all twelve weeks. We meet online to allow members to both learn and practice DBT skills such as this one.
Check out our DBT skills page to learn more.
Begin DBT in Atlanta, GA
Equipping yourself with tools to care for your mind and body is much harder than it may seem. Our caring therapists have the experience to help you overcome your issues, and better manage your emotions. We offer support from our Atlanta, GA-based therapy practice. To start your therapy journey, please follow these simple steps:
Click the button below to book a free consultation
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Other Services Offered With Avalon Psychotherapy
We understand that life can throw a lot your way at times. This is why we are happy to offer a variety of services from our Atlanta, GA-based therapy practice. Our therapists offer individual relationship counseling, teen therapy, life transitions therapy, and young adult therapy. We can help with a wide range of areas of mental wellness through specific services such as anxiety treatment, DBT group therapy, and online therapy in Georgia. Learn more about our therapy practice or visit our blog today!