100 The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook
disappointment and suffering. As you continue to practice your mindfulness skills in your life, it
will continue to be important to recognize and separate your judgments and fantasies from what’s
really happening in the moment. One of the easiest ways to do this is to become mindful of your
physical senses—what you notice using your eyes, ears, nose, and senses of touch and taste. Often,
people refer to this as grounding themselves. Grounding yourself in your physical sensations can
stop you from obsessing over your judgments, and by doing so it will also help you become more
mindful of what’s happening in the present moment.
Read the following instructions before beginning the exercise to familiarize yourself with
the experience. Then you can either keep these instructions near you if you need to refer to
them while you’re doing the exercise, or you can record them in a slow, even voice on an audio-
recording device so that you can listen to them while you practice shifting your focus between your
judgments and your present-moment awareness.
Instructions
To begin, find a comfortable place to sit in a room where you won’t be disturbed for ten minutes.
Turn off any distracting sounds. Take a few slow, long breaths, close your eyes, and relax.
Now, keeping your eyes closed, focus your attention on the weight of your body as it rests on the seat
in which you’re sitting. Notice the weight of your feet and legs resting on the ground. Notice the weight
of your hands and arms resting. Notice the weight of your head resting on top of your neck. Mentally
scan your body from head to toe and notice any sensations that you feel. Take your time. [Pause here
for one minute if you are recording the instructions.]
Now notice any tension you might be feeling anywhere in your body, and imagine the tension
melting away like wax in the hot sun. Again, take your time to scan your body for any tension, and keep
taking slow, deep breaths. [Pause here for one minute if you are recording the instructions.]
When you are finished scanning your body, move your focus to your thoughts and judgments. Just
notice any thoughts or judgments that arise in your mind, and when they do, allow them to float away
by whichever means you found successful in the last exercises. Allow the thoughts and judgments to
leave you without getting stuck on them. Take a minute to do this, and keep breathing slow, long breaths.
[Pause here for one minute if you are recording the instructions.]
Now redirect your attention to your sense of hearing. Notice any sounds that you can hear coming
from outside your room, and note to yourself what they are. Now become aware of any sounds you hear
coming from inside the room, and note to yourself what they are. Try to notice even small sounds, such
as the ticking of a clock, the sound of the wind, or the beating of your heart. If you become distracted by
any thoughts, return your focus to your sense of hearing. Take a minute to do this, and keep breathing.
[Pause here for one minute if you are recording the instructions.]
When you are finished noticing any sounds, once again redirect your focus to your thoughts and
judgments. Notice any thoughts or judgments that arise in your mind, and when they do, allow them to
float away by whichever means you found successful in the last exercises. Allow the thoughts and judg-
ments to leave you without getting stuck on them. Take a minute to do this, and keep breathing slow,
deep breaths. [Pause here for one minute if you are recording the instructions.]