Mindfulness in DBT: how can it help you?

There has been a growing recognition that we have a tendency to live our lives on autopilot. We may find that we have driven to work without remembering every turn we have made, or we may engage in daily activities, such as cleaning our teeth, whilst thinking about what we have to do that day. This is a normal, human behaviour, and can help us be more efficient. However, there has been a growing realisation around the negative impact of living our lives on autopilot. Negative emotions can often result from spending too much time in autopilot, as we don’t give ourselves time to consider how we feel, what we need, and how our mind and body is responding to what is going on around us.

In contrast, being mindful is about being in the moment, in a curious and non-judgemental way. When we are being mindful, we are purposefully paying attention to what is happening in the here and now. That might include mindful eating (noticing the sensation of eating, the taste and the texture of our food, and being more aware of our hunger and satiety cues). Or it might include being mindful of our emotions (noticing what we are feeling and responding to our needs appropriately).

So why is practicing mindfulness important?

If we are acting on autopilot, we are more likely to get stuck in a chain of unhelpful thoughts and behaviours, and we are more likely to get caught up in out of control emotions. We are also more likely to accept our thoughts as facts, rather than recognising them as simply thoughts that we can let go of.

When we are being mindful, we are more aware of how we feel inside (our thoughts, feelings, impulses and sensations) and we are also more aware of what is going on outside (what we can see, hear, smell and touch). Being in this mindful, non-judgemental state allows us to take a step back and make a choice about how we will act, rather than reacting out of fear, habit or in response to rapidly changing emotions.

Research into mindfulness has demonstrated numerous benefits including:

• Increased emotional regulation

• Decreased distraction and rumination

• Increased activity in the brain region associated with positive emotions

• Decreased anger and emotional irritability

• Decreased depression and anxiety

• Increased immune function

Mindfulness and DBT

Mindfulness is a core DBT skill. By practising being mindful and being in the moment, you are also making it possible to change longstanding patterns of thoughts, behaviours and emotions. It allows you to access your wise mind rather than staying in emotion mind, and helps you regulate your emotions.

Mindfulness isn’t complicated, but it does require commitment and practice. Given this, DBT involves regular mindfulness practice, both in session and between sessions, to help you harness this invaluable skill.