EMOTION REGULATION
DBT uses Emotion Regulation skills to help us change our emotions or situations. But sometimes it's not appropriate or we're not able to change the situation or our emotions, then we should use Distress Tolerance skills.
Emotions are normal and everyone experiences them. Sometimes, particularly when we have had persistent distressing experiences during our lives, we can emotionally react more often to situations (that others may not find distressing) where we feel threatened. The distress can be very intense and it's difficult to manage ourselves and situations when things are feeling so over-whelming.
Learning Emotion Regulation skills will help us learn to effectively manage and change the way we feel and cope with situations.
Emotions, thoughts and what we do or feel an urge to do (behaviours) are all linked and become vicious cycles. Changing one part of the cycle will help improve the situation and help you feel better.
Emotions are normal and everyone experiences them. Sometimes, particularly when we have had persistent distressing experiences during our lives, we can emotionally react more often to situations (that others may not find distressing) where we feel threatened. The distress can be very intense and it's difficult to manage ourselves and situations when things are feeling so over-whelming.
Learning Emotion Regulation skills will help us learn to effectively manage and change the way we feel and cope with situations.
Emotions, thoughts and what we do or feel an urge to do (behaviours) are all linked and become vicious cycles. Changing one part of the cycle will help improve the situation and help you feel better.
When we experience really strong negative emotions, it’s easy to get caught up into the old pattern of using unhelpful and damaging coping strategies such as using substances, self-harming or unhealthy eating habits.
Emotions are closely linked to our bodies, and each emotion has a particular behaviour linked to it. The word "emotion" can be described as E - MOTION (Elicit Motion).
Find out more about how we can recognize different emotions - their thoughts, feelings and typical behaviours: Emotion causes us to react and move in certain ways. Each emotion has an "Action Urge" - the automatic urge we feel. We can use Opposite Action skill to help us make a more helpful and positive response and outcome. Examples of emotions and their action urges and opposite action:
Emotions are closely linked to our bodies, and each emotion has a particular behaviour linked to it. The word "emotion" can be described as E - MOTION (Elicit Motion).
Find out more about how we can recognize different emotions - their thoughts, feelings and typical behaviours: Emotion causes us to react and move in certain ways. Each emotion has an "Action Urge" - the automatic urge we feel. We can use Opposite Action skill to help us make a more helpful and positive response and outcome. Examples of emotions and their action urges and opposite action:
The acronym PLEASE Master can remind us what we can do regularly in order to keep ourselves healthy and stable. It is about looking after our physical health which which enable us to better cope with mental distress.
PL treat Physical iLness
E Eat healthily
A Avoid mood-altering substances
(alcohol or drugs)
S Sleep well
E Exercise
Master plan and do something every day that gives you a sense of achievement or ability
PL treat Physical iLness
E Eat healthily
A Avoid mood-altering substances
(alcohol or drugs)
S Sleep well
E Exercise
Master plan and do something every day that gives you a sense of achievement or ability
Increase positive emotions
Do more enjoyable activities – every day (see the list of distractions for ideas). Do more enjoyable activities than you would normally do, schedule them in each day.
DO at least ONE THING each day
ACE Activities
Distract Lots of ideas!
Be mindful of positive experiences
Overcome Avoidance
Problem Solve
Focus your attention on positive events as they happen
Energising vs Draining activity
Notice when your mind wanders to unhelpful thoughts, and bring your focus back to the current situation. NOW
Do more enjoyable activities – every day (see the list of distractions for ideas). Do more enjoyable activities than you would normally do, schedule them in each day.
DO at least ONE THING each day
ACE Activities
Distract Lots of ideas!
Be mindful of positive experiences
Overcome Avoidance
Problem Solve
Focus your attention on positive events as they happen
Energising vs Draining activity
Notice when your mind wanders to unhelpful thoughts, and bring your focus back to the current situation. NOW
Changing the way we think
As thoughts play such an important role in our distressing emotions, it can be very effective to notice these thoughts, and learn to think differently, or to think about thoughts in a different way.
As thoughts play such an important role in our distressing emotions, it can be very effective to notice these thoughts, and learn to think differently, or to think about thoughts in a different way.