What Skill
DBT encourages us to live our lives fully. To do so, it's most effective to: observe, describe, and participate in the activity of the moment throughout our day.
Observe
- Pay attention to events, emotions, and thoughts.
- Try not to terminate them when they are painful.
- Try not to prolong them when they are pleasant.
- Allow yourself to experience with awareness.
Describe
- Describe events, label emotions, identify thoughts.
- Try not to take emotions and thoughts as accurate and exact reflections of events.
- List "just the facts" – No need to label or judge.
Participate
- Enter completely into the activity of the moment.
- Try not to be self-conscious.
- Be spontaneous and give attention to the activity.