The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook for Anxiety

chapter 4

Advanced Mindfulness Skills.

In the previous chapter, you learned what mindfulness is and you also learned the basic “what”
skills of dialectical behavior therapy. This means that you learned to become more mindful of what
you are focusing on by using these methods:

 Focusing more fully on the present moment

 Recognizing and focusing on your thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations

 Focusing on your moment-to-moment stream of awareness

 Separating your thoughts from your emotions and physical sensations

WHAT YOu’ LL LEARN IN THIS CHAPTER

Now, in this chapter, you’ll be introduced to the more advanced “how” skills of mindfulness
(Linehan, 1993a). These skills will help you learn how to be both mindful and nonjudgmental in
your daily experiences. In this chapter, you will learn five “how” skills:

1. How to use wise mind

2. How to use radical acceptance to acknowledge your daily experiences without judging

them

3. How to do what’s effective

4. How to create a mindfulness regimen for yourself in order to live your life in a more

aware, focused way

5. How to overcome the hindrances of your mindfulness practice