DBT Cards
Absolutely — here are the DBT skills shown on that page, numbered in order, with one-sentence explanations for each:
Mindfulness
The “What” Skills — The core mindfulness actions: what you do to practice mindfulness (observe, describe, participate).
Observe — Notice what’s happening inside you and around you without trying to change it.
Describe — Put words on what you observe (facts, sensations, emotions) to create clarity and distance.
Participate — Fully enter the moment and do what you’re doing with your whole attention.
The “How” Skills — The mindfulness attitudes: how you practice mindfulness (nonjudgmentally, one-mindfully, effectively).
Nonjudgmentally — Describe experiences without labeling them as “good/bad,” “right/wrong,” or “should/shouldn’t.”
One-mindfully — Focus on one thing at a time rather than multitasking or splitting attention.
Effectively — Do what works for your goals in the situation instead of what you “feel like” or what’s “fair.”
Wise Mind — Access the balanced state that integrates Emotion Mind and Reasonable Mind.
Wise Mind Practices — Use exercises (like breathing, centering, imagery) to help you shift into Wise Mind.
Skillful Means — Use practical strategies that reduce suffering and help you respond intentionally rather than reactively.
Observing the Breath — Anchor attention on breathing to stabilize focus and calm emotional intensity.
Do a Body Scan — Move attention through the body to notice sensations and release tension.
External Mindfulness Ideas* — Practice mindfulness using your environment (sounds, sights, objects, tasks) as the focus.
Loving-Kindness — Practice compassionate wishes toward yourself and others to soften anger, shame, or fear.
Distress Tolerance
Crisis Survival Skills — Short-term tools to get through intense distress without making the situation worse.
STOP — Pause impulsive action by stopping, stepping back, observing, and proceeding mindfully.
Pros and Cons — Weigh the benefits and costs of acting on urges versus using coping skills.
TIPP — Rapid body-based methods to lower emotional arousal fast through physiology.
Tip Your Temperature (TIPP) — Use cold water/ice to trigger the dive response and quickly calm the nervous system.
Intense Exercise (TIPP) — Brief intense movement burns off adrenaline and reduces emotional escalation.
Paced Breathing (TIPP) — Slow, steady breathing helps shift the body out of fight-or-flight.
Paired Muscle Relaxation (TIPP) — Tighten and release muscle groups to reduce tension and cue relaxation.
ACCEPTS — Distract temporarily using structured categories to ride out urges and emotional spikes safely.
Activities (ACCEPTS) — Do something engaging to shift attention away from distress.
Contributing (ACCEPTS) — Help someone else to create meaning and reduce self-focused distress.
Comparisons (ACCEPTS) — Compare to times you’ve coped before or to situations that could be worse to gain perspective.
Emotions (ACCEPTS) — Generate different emotions (music, comedy, gratitude) to shift emotional state.
Pushing Away (ACCEPTS) — Mentally “set aside” the problem temporarily so you can function in the moment.
Thoughts (ACCEPTS) — Fill your mind with other thoughts (counting, puzzles, reading) to interrupt rumination.
Sensations (ACCEPTS) — Use safe physical sensations (cold water, strong mint, holding ice) to ground and reset attention.
Self-Soothing — Calm yourself using the five senses to create comfort and safety.
Vision — Use soothing or pleasant sights (nature, candles, calming images) to reduce distress.
Hearing — Use calming sounds (music, white noise, guided audio) to regulate emotion.
Smell — Use comforting scents (lavender, lotion, essential oils) to soothe and ground.
Taste — Use pleasant or strong flavors (tea, mint, sour candy) mindfully to shift your state.
Touch — Use comforting or grounding physical contact (blanket, pet, warm shower, textured object) to soothe distress.
Proprioception and Vestibular System* — Use body-based sensory input (rocking, stretching, pressure, balance movement) to regulate the nervous system and feel more “in your body.”
IMPROVE — A set of skills to make a difficult moment more tolerable by changing your internal experience of it.
Imagery (IMPROVE) — Picture a calming scene or visualize yourself coping successfully to reduce emotional intensity.
Meaning (IMPROVE) — Find purpose or a “why” in the situation to increase resilience and reduce suffering.
Prayer (IMPROVE) — Connect to spirituality or a higher purpose (in any form) for comfort, guidance, or strength.
Relaxing Actions (IMPROVE) — Do small calming behaviors (tea, bath, stretching, music) to settle your body and mind.
One Thing in the Moment (IMPROVE) — Narrow your focus to just the next manageable step instead of the whole problem.
Vacation (IMPROVE) — Take a brief break (even 5–20 minutes) to reset and return with more capacity.
Self-Encouragement (IMPROVE) — Use supportive self-talk to keep going (e.g., “I can handle this,” “This will pass”).
Radical Acceptance — Fully accept reality as it is (not approving it) so you stop fighting what you can’t change.
Willingness — Choose openness and cooperation with reality rather than resisting, avoiding, or digging in.
Turning the Mind — Recommit again and again to acceptance when your mind keeps drifting back into “no.”
Half-Smiling — Softly lift the corners of your mouth to signal safety to the brain and reduce emotional tension.
Willing Hands — Unclench and open your hands/body posture to reduce resistance and increase willingness.
Other Ways to Accept Reality — Use additional acceptance strategies (self-talk, grounding, coping plans) to stop struggling against what is.
Mindfulness of Current Thoughts — Notice thoughts as thoughts (not facts) and let them come and go without getting hooked.
Dialectical Abstinence — Balance acceptance and change by aiming for total abstinence while planning for slips to prevent relapse spirals.
Alternate Rebellion — Replace self-destructive rebellion with harmless “rule-breaking” that still protects your long-term goals.
Distress Tolerance Kit — Prepare a toolbox of items and reminders you can use quickly when emotions spike.
Coping Statements for Shame or Self-Criticism* — Use compassionate, reality-based phrases to reduce shame and soften harsh self-talk.
Coping Statements for Overwhelm* — Use simple stabilizing statements to reduce panic and help you take the next step.
Coping with Dissociation* — Use grounding and orientation strategies to stay present and reconnect to your body and environment.
Emotion Regulation
Facts about Emotions — Learn what emotions do, why they exist, and how they give information (even when they’re intense).
Model of Emotions — Understand how emotions build (trigger → thoughts/body → urges → actions) so you can intervene earlier.
Anger — Learn what anger signals and how to manage urges without aggression or impulsive behavior.
Fear — Learn how fear works and how to reduce avoidance so anxiety doesn’t take over your life.
Happiness — Strengthen positive emotions by increasing meaningful activities, connection, and present-moment enjoyment.
Love — Understand attachment and closeness needs while building healthy, balanced relationships.
Sadness — Work with loss and disappointment by allowing grief while still taking supportive action.
Disgust — Recognize disgust responses and reduce shame-based or avoidance-based reactions when they’re not helpful.
Envy — Notice comparison pain and use it as information about unmet needs or values rather than self-attack.
Jealousy — Address insecurity and fear of loss with effective communication, boundaries, and self-respect skills.
Guilt — Use guilt as a signal to repair or realign with your values, without collapsing into shame.
Shame — Reduce the urge to hide or self-punish by increasing self-compassion and safe connection.
Distinguishing Guilt from Shame — Separate “I did something wrong” (guilt) from “I am wrong” (shame) to guide healthier change.
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