DBT and Mindfulness: How Are They Connected?

Mindfulness has gained a lot of attention recently as a way to improve mental health. It is being used in therapy, showing remarkable results. DBT is a therapy that works particularly well with mindfulness. But how do DBT and mindfulness connect? Read this entire blog to learn about how they work together and provide benefits to patients.

What is Mindfulness?

Our minds are always thinking about something. From the moment we open our eyes, we are always swept into the stream of thoughts about the things that we are going to face today or that we experienced yesterday.

Whether it is related to work or some incident that happened in the past. These thoughts are always on autopilot mode and we find it so hard to break this cycle.

Because of that, mindfulness comes into play. It interrupts this pattern by encouraging you to focus on the present moment, thinking about what’s happening now and helping you gain control over your thoughts and appreciate life.

What is DBT?

Dialectical Behavior Therapy is one kind of cognitive-behavioral therapy that focuses on helping people to manage negative emotions and healing relationships. It has shown numerous benefits to patients after a few therapy sessions. DBT has the following benefits:

• It reduces anxiety, depression and trauma.
• It helps in improving self image and confidence.
• It greatly decreases suicidal and self-harming thoughts and behaviors.

Although it has some significant advantages over other types of therapy, it also has certain limits. Pros and Cons of DBT, check out this blog to find out about some of its disadvantages.

Mindfulness and DBT

One of the four guiding concepts of DBT is mindfulness. Distress tolerance, emotional control, and interpersonal effectiveness are the other three. By teaching people how to manage their emotions, build wholesome, loving relationships, and get over obstacles, these concepts help people in creating a meaningful existence.

Mindfulness is often used in the first phase of DBT because it makes the implementation process of the other core concepts easier.

5 Mindfulness DBT Skills

• Observing

Noticing your surroundings and observing it slowly and carefully. There are various methods to do so. The most effective ones are as follows:

Breathing Exercises: Concentrate on the inhale and exhale of your breath.

Body scan meditation: Concentrating on each body part without judgment, from head to toes, feeling your skin and air lightly touching your skin.

• Describing

Explaining your observations through words.

Naming: Labeling your observations and describing your emotions in a non judgmental manner.

Numbering: Using SUDs to tell the intensity of feelings and emotions.

• Participating

Completely engage yourself in the current action with full attention. 

• Single Task Focus

Focus only on a single thing at a time. If you are focusing on your breath, then be mindful of your breathing pattern.

• Non Judgmentally

Not labeling your observations as good or bad, positive or negative, just see them as they are.

Let Go Of Attachments: Observing things objectively, releasing any attachments and accepting them as they are.

How DBT Mindfulness helps in Emotional Regulation?

Mindfulness skills are helpful in regulating emotions for people suffering with anxiety and other mental health issues. People who are mindful of the present moment, are able to identify and accept emotions, and sit with them. By embracing their emotions, they can avoid acting impulsively and remain calm. There is a greater sense of peace, knowing that all emotions come and go.

You can also read this article : role of cbt for depression in emotional wellness

Building Self-Awareness

Mindfulness believes that stress and anxiety is a part of life and it cannot be avoided completely. Instead, we must learn to cope up with it by observing it nonjudgmentally.

Acceptance

Accepting emotions for what they are, without trying to control or repress them, is a lesson learned through mindfulness. This acceptance promotes a more balanced emotional state and reduces the intensity of negative feelings.

Controlling Emotional Reactivity

People who practice mindfulness learn to wait before reacting to highly emotional stimulation. This pause lowers emotional reactivity by making room for thoughtful answers as opposed to sudden reactions.

Benefits of Mindfulness Skills DBT

DBT and mindfulness are an effective combination for mental health especially in healing traumas. They can provide the following benefits:

Feelings in Control

It allows you to notice your emotions without becoming overwhelmed by them. DBT shows you how to manage them, while mindfulness helps you to accept them. Combining them both will help you to have more control over your feelings.

Low Stress Levels

When you have more control over your emotions, you will stress less. We become stressed when we keep thinking about a particular anxious thought. When we develop DBT techniques to deal with these thoughts, we are less likely to become overwhelmed by them.

Healing Relationships

Mindfulness helps you to be attentive and mindful in your interactions. And DBT teaches you effective communication skills. They collaborate in order to assist you in developing stronger relationships.

Thinking Open Mindly

You think clearly when you are calm and peaceful. Mindfulness helps you see things from different angles. This gives you an idea from others perspective and allows you to think more creatively.

Art Therapy Guelph

If you are looking for mental health support, contact Art Therapy Guelph; our team is always here to help. We have qualified DBT therapists in Guelph, Canada that will help you to begin your journey to wellbeing today! Book your first life changing therapy session and discover the transformative power of Art Therapy.