Understanding DBT and Positive Distraction
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is about seeing both sides or “shades of grey” in a situation rather than from an all-or-nothing perspective. One of the bases of DBT is using positive distraction strategies. The following are some ideas to manage anxiety with positive distraction to get your mind focused on something other than what is bothering you:
Engage Your Mind
Engage in activities that focus on your mind. You can spend time with people who support you and make this intentional by making it a committed appointment, planning a weekend trip and making sure you do the planning with support from any persons you are going with, or picking up a hobby that requires intention and attention and sticking to it like a weekly appointment.
Volunteer and Give to Others
Volunteer and find ways to give to others. This can be by helping individuals, a group of people, organizations, animals, or in the form of advocacy for an issue you care about. A fun project you can take on is making it a goal to do a favor for someone or animals daily. For example, leaving nuts for squirrels in your backyard, offering to pet sit for a neighbor to go on a mini-vacation, or cooking a meal for a friend or neighbor going through a stressful time.
Grounding Exercises
Some more concrete ways to manage anxiety include using distracting grounding exercises such as:
-
5-4-3-2-1 Exercise: Name 5 things you can see around you (observe the shapes and colors), 4 things you can feel right now physically, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and the taste in your mouth.
-
Count backward by 7 starting at 1000.
-
Do a crossword puzzle.
-
Get a book of mini-mysteries and solve mysteries based on clues from the short stories (check out www.mag.com/mysteries2).
Break Out of the Rut
Probably one of the biggest complaints a therapist hears in session is “I feel like my life is in a rut.” You can feel less stuck by bringing some novelty into your life. You can treat one weekend a month like a vacation and let go of any to-dos or errand running. Life will not fall apart because you took 2 and a half days off monthly—guaranteed. Instead, you will feel more energized, hopeful, and refreshed.
Ideas for a staycation or monthly break include:
-
Ordering in healthy meals
-
Watching a couple of fun movies
-
Going for a local hike or long walks
-
Taking a bubble bath
-
Hiring a house cleaning service
-
Sending out your laundry for the week
-
Ordering groceries instead of picking them up
If possible, a weekend getaway to another state or a road trip is best to really take a break monthly.
Need some other ideas of ways to manage anxiety? Seeking additional support to get out of that rut? Click here.
