4 Ways Mindfulness in DBT Therapy Helps You Regulate Emotions

One important attribute of dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) is learning mindfulness techniques to regulate emotions. “Mindfulness” is the term used for a collection of skills and methods that are intended to slow you down and be more present, without judgement, in the moment. Mindfulness can include meditation, controlling your breathing, redirecting your attention to where you are right now, and similar skills that help build awareness and keep you in control of your attention.

That all sounds great in theory, but how does mindfulness actually help you regulate your emotions? After all, you are struggling with some real issues. You might doubt that mindfulness will actually work for you. At Suffolk DBT, we’ve worked with many people who are really struggling, and really doubt that mindfulness will help them. But we know from experience, it can!

Here are four ways that you can practice DBT mindfulness skills:

1. Staying in the Moment

When it comes to problems such as anxiety, it’s very hard to stay present. Your mind is dragged away from the task that you are on to whatever is causing the anxiety.

For instance, let’s say that you worry a lot about the future. It stresses you out that you can’t control what might happen. The result is that you worry or ruminate about the future so much that you neglect things you need or want to focus on in the here-and-now.

With mindfulness, you can better stay in the moment and worry less about anxiety. You can recognize that the future is not right there in the room with you, and that you have a limited amount of control over things that aren’t right here and right now. You can better focus on what you can do, right now, and can embrace, and maybe even enjoy, the moment more, making life feel more like it’s worth living. 

2. Strengthening Your Observation Skills to Regulate Emotions

If you are stressed, you will experience some pretty serious emotions. Anxiety can feel as it happens out of nowhere. You have no idea why these emotions are suddenly appearing, and you may not realize what causes them.

But mindfulness will teach you how to strengthen your observation skills. This helps you note why you suddenly feel anxious and how that affects you; maybe you’re more anxious when you’re hungry, when you had an argument earlier in the week, or when you have already had multiple things happen in the day and you feel like you’re buried under stress.

Understanding “why” can help you see what’s happening right now. Then you can use rational thinking to help you stay grounded and present. This, as opposed to feeling as if your emotions are running away from you, can make it much easier to manage stress, anxiety, depression, and more.

3. Maintaining Attention and Focus

Issues such as anxiety and other mental health problems drive your attention away from the present to what’s triggering those emotions. Mindfulness teaches how to stay focused on what we need to do. Even if that’s simply working through the problem of why you feel anxious, you can better regulate emotions when you focus on the moment.

But it’s also helpful for staying on track with work or being present with your children. So much of your attention and focus gets sidetracked, which means you are less productive, less engaged with life, and less satisfied. Even if you’re anxious while you’re getting things done, you’re still participating in life, and with time, anxiety becomes less and less of an influence. 

4. Regulate Emotions through Awareness of Your Surroundings and Environment

A fourth reason mindfulness is so helpful with emotional regulation is that it empowers you to be more aware of your surroundings and environment. Why is this useful? Because when you are stressed or triggered, it can feel as if you are disconnected from everything around you.

This feeling fuels that stress and causes you to get even more triggered. However, mindfulness can keep you grounded and keep your sense of reality. Rather than getting “hyped-up”, you have more energy to focus on what is happening, why, and to use other DBT skills to resolve the issue.

For instance, if you were triggered by a sound that’s connected to your PTSD, you could use a five-sense exercise to note what you are experiencing in your environment. This helps you stay calm and regulate emotions, rather than escalate them.

The Importance of DBT Therapy 

Although it’s possible to learn mindfulness skills from online articles, therapy is necessary to make those connections to both the DBT process and your own therapeutic journey. Your therapist will help you put all the pieces of the puzzle together. That way you have a plan that you can work through together in order to resolve those issues.

Also, the time you spend in therapy is useful for practicing those DBT mindfulness skills with your therapist before using them outside of session.

Mindfulness as part of DBT is a powerful tool for regulating your emotions. To learn more about how mindfulness and DBT can help you, contact us today.

Suffolk DBT uses mindfulness alongside other DBT skills to support you in regulating your emotions

If you’re searching for mindfulness therapy in the 10001 zip code or surrounding area, you’ve come to the right place. Suffolk DBT proudly provides quality dialectical behavior therapy, a form of cognitive behavioral therapy, at their offices in Manhattan and Long Island, New York and online. Their experienced therapists specialize in serving teens, children, adults, and college students struggling with depression, borderline personality disorder, eating disorders, and self-harm. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills and treatment can help you or your kids to manage emotions and work through life’s challenges. Suffolk DBT Manhattan and Long Island offer a free screening call so you can get started right away.

Frequently Asked Questions about mindfulness and DBT