DBT & Coping Skills for Every Situation

Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills and other coping skills can help folks with a variety of mental health struggles.

Sometimes the hardest part of coping is figuring out what skill to use when.

They're not explained, so it may take some effort on your part to research the skill if you're not familiar but hopefully it gives you a place to start.

Skills for feeling too 'up' (anxiety, panic attacks, mania, etc.)

Wise Mind

Body Scan

Journaling - write it all down

Square Breathing

54321 - 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, 1 thing you can taste.

Self soothe & create self soothe box

Talk to your anxiety not yourself, name it!

Change the Scenery/the V in IMPROVE (Vacation)

Create a Plan/Problem Solving

Skills for feeling down (depression, suicidal thoughts, low mood, etc.)

Set a small goal & try to complete it

Take a shower or practice other basic self-care

Self-validation/compassion

Schedule yourself time to feel down

Scale it 1-10

Belly Breathing

Fake it until you make it

Positive (& realistic) self talk

What did I do last time I felt like this to feel better

Create a plan/problem solving

Skills for not feeling (dissociation, PTSD, C-PTSD, trauma, etc.)

Grounding Tree mindfulness exercise

Body Armor mindfulness exercise

Soothe your 5 senses to get back to reality

Notice where you go when you dissociate

Rewind and 'fix' the tape skill

Take a break and focus on yourself (if you can)

Self Care Kit (to go, in car, in purse, at home, work, etc)

List strengths you have since or due to the trauma/abuse/issue

Forgive or accept (even if they haven't apologized, accept you might never get it!)

Skills for feeling too much (trauma, PTSD, C-PTSD, anxiety, anger, BPD, abandonment, etc.)

Visualize a safe space

Get out of the situation

HALT skill

Write a letter to yourself for next time

Stop, think, do CBT skill

Watch kids TV, read kids books

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Do math, taxes, alphabetize, get out of your head/move towards rational mind

Adjust your expectations (consider that it might be weird if you didn't feel like that)

Keep it simple (eat what you can grab, sleep when you can, survival mode)

Skills for everyone (no specific diagnosis needed!)

Journal

Self-Care

Time Management

Sleep Hygiene

Reaching out

Getting professional help

Practice gratitude

Create your own mindfulness/tape yourself

Make happy memories to store for later (Accumulate Positives)

Basics of DBT Interpersonal Effectiveness

Skills for Helping others

Radical Acceptance

Can't help those who aren't ready (don't make an intervention)

Communicate - I am ready when you are

Leave it to the professionals

DBT GIVE interpersonal effectiveness skill

Focus on something else

Take care of yourself/protect yourself

Help out in others way (clean their home, offer help, be available)

Set boundaries

Wish them well, peace, pray, positive vibes, whatever fits for you.

Sejal Desai, DBT practitioner, Sevi Wellness Services