Mindfulness of Current Thoughts - A DBT Skill
A Path to Inner Freedom with Mindfulness of Current Thoughts
“Mindfulness of Current Thoughts” is a core DBT skill that emphasizes observing and acknowledging your thoughts without judgment or suppression. Rather than trying to push away, distract from, or block your emotions, this practice invites you to experience them fully, allowing them to flow naturally through you. By doing so, you gain a sense of inner freedom, no longer weighed down by the resistance to uncomfortable feelings.
Suppressing emotions can intensify suffering. Think of it like touching a hot stove—you instinctively pull your hand back. We often do the same with emotions, avoiding discomfort by suppressing them. However, the real goal is to experience these emotions fully without acting on them. When you allow yourself to feel, you may realize emotions are not as catastrophic as they initially seem. As fear or panic fades, the grip these emotions hold on you begins to loosen.
Before practicing this skill, it’s important to check if you’ve reached your “Skills Breakdown Point.” If not, “Mindfulness of Current Thoughts” can be highly effective. Here’s how to practice:
Step 1: Observe Your Thoughts. Take a step back and simply notice your thoughts. Let them pass through your mind like waves, coming and going. Don’t try to block, amplify, or suppress them. Instead, allow them to exist as they are, neither clinging to them nor pushing them away.
Step 2: Tune Into Physical Sensations. Focus on where these thoughts manifest physically in your body. Use descriptive “-ing” words to label what you feel, such as “tightening,” “expanding,” or “tingling.” As you stay present with these sensations, observe how they shift and change. Over time, rename what you’re experiencing with new “-ing” words, tracking the evolving physical sensations.
This skill helps us cultivate a new relationship with our thoughts and emotions, where we can exist alongside them without being overpowered. When emotions are in control, it’s like they’re driving the car. But with “Mindfulness of Current Thoughts,” you reclaim the driver’s seat, allowing emotions to ride in the passenger seat—observed, but not in control.
