Part of the overview included why it’s hard to regulate emotions. One of those, Lack of Skill, is why DBT was created and others including Biology, Attitude, and Overload, all have specific skills in the Emotion Regulation Module that speak to overcoming them.
PLEASE is the skill that addresses roadblocks of biology; it’s the acronym to help remember ways to take care of ourselves physically.
- P &
- L – Treat Physical Illness. Take care of your body by seeing a doctor when necessary and taking prescribed medication
- E – balance Eating. Don’t eat too much or too little. Eat regularly and mindfully throughout the day, and stay away from trigger foods, those that make you feel overly emotional.
- A – avoid mood-Altering substances. Stay away from illicit drugs and drink alcohol in moderation, if at all.
- S – balance Sleep. Try to get 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night, or at least the amount of sleep that helps you feel good. Keep to a consistent sleep schedule, especially if you are having difficulty sleeping.
- E – Exercise. Do some sort of exercise every day. Try to build up to 20 min of daily exercise.
(From DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets, Second Edition 2015 by Marsha M Linehan)
When the kids were little I took them to Early Childhood and Family Education classes (ECFE). Part of the classes were together and part of the class time the parents and kids separated with a child development instructor and a parent instructor. Our instructor explained the acronym HALTS to us – kids are more likely to have tantrums when they are…
- Hungry
- Angry
- Lonely
- Tired
- Sick, Sad, or Stressed
We all agreed that this goes for us as adults too!
One last thought to consider today…
