Marsha Linehan is well known for her successes in developing effective treatment protocols for people struggling with Borderline Personality Disorder. However, a few of her skills may benefit the general public so I will summarize a few specific ways to increase awareness of the present moment. First take a moment to look away from the screen and spell the word EARTH backwards. Okay, now you may have noticed an inability to focus on anything except picturing the word in your mind or even trying to spell it out forwards so you could see it backwards. This is a minor example of a mindful moment and shows just how brief a mindfulness activity can be.
Sometimes people equate mindfulness with meditation and being as calm and collected as the stereotype suggests they “should” be. That line of thinking is not helpful so to break down mindfulness a little further I want to briefly explain Linehan’s six “what” and “how” mindfulness skills. The full version of her text: DBT-Skills-Training-Handouts-and-Worksheets can be purchased online (OR your therapist might have a copy you can borrow).
OBSERVE: Simply noticing sensations, noticing what is going on in and around oneself reduces the influence those internal/external sensations may be having. In meditation circles I’ve heard a practice called “noting” in which you just acknowledge the thought or feeling floating on by without judgment and without criticism. Thought diffusion is another technique in which you can visualize your thoughts/feelings/sensations as things such as words or pictures being written in the sand and waves come and wash them away.
DESCRIBE: The moment words are placed on an experience, it becomes a description. Label what you observe, release categorical thinking, and focus on just the facts. If you cannot observe it through the five known senses, you probably cannot describe it well so stick with using your excellent senses of touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing to label stuff.
PARTICIPATE: To throw yourself completely into the current moment is most certainly easier said than done. I see it achieved in myself when I reach what some call a “flow” state in which arousal and control are balanced in such a way that productivity skyrockets. The next time you notice time flying by, upon reflection you may realize you were fully engaged and participating in whatever you were doing.
NONJUDGMENTALLY: If I think, “the sky is really pretty right now,” that is a judgmental thought. Not good/bad or helpful/unhelpful. In fact, this particular judgmental thought is quite neutral and thus a helpful example of practicing non-judgmentalness. By simply noticing that I was judging something, I am practicing nonjudgmentally. One of my favorite exercises of non-judgmentalness is replacing a situation formly judged harshly and reframing it describing just the facts, consequence, and feelings (emotions are not judgments folks).
ONE-MINDFULLY: This technique entails doing just one thing at a time. We are so capable of multitasking that sometimes it can occur unintentionally. When one lets go of distractions and concentrates the mind on just one thing, it can completely change the experience. So the next time you are eating, try just eating. Put your phone down, turn the TV off, stop judging what’s on your plate and just eat. Let me know how it goes. Other activities to try one-mindfully include but are not limited to: walking, worrying, planning, and showering.
EFFECTIVELY: Desired results can be a strong intrinsic motivator, or it can destroy your wellbeing. When one is being effective, emotions are not disregarded but they are not getting in the way either. I tell my clients often what is most effective is not necessarily what’s most comfortable. If you are mindful of your goals in a situation, you will be more inclined to do what is necessary to achieve them. For example, if the goal for a college student is graduation and that goal is forgotten or put on the back burner in exchange for immediate gratification, then there may be one too many nights spent at the pub or on video games. Conversely, if the goal for a college student is graduation and that goal is mindfully influencing effective decision making, then that student is more inclined to endure the temporary discomfort of missing a friend’s birthday celebration to stay in and complete coursework.
Now you have some more tools for your toolbox. Experiment with as many mindfulness techniques you can find and remember these are not all of them, these are just what I pulled from Linehan’s DBT book. Do your own research and let me know what comes up.
