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DBT worksheet export
What Are My Emotions Doing for Me?
Identify the function your emotion is serving—information, motivation, communication, or behavior control—so you can respond wisely.
What this worksheet is for
Identify the function your emotion is serving—information, motivation, communication, or behavior control—so you can respond wisely.
How to use it
- Read the full skill once before writing.
- Use the examples below to spot where it fits real life.
- Complete the reflection page using the answers you already typed or by writing directly on the PDF.
At a glance
Primary topic: emotion function assessment worksheet
Worksheet type: Support worksheet
How to practice it
Describe the Emotion
Note the emotion, intensity, and prompting event. Include physical sensations or thoughts that accompany it.
Information
Ask what the emotion may be telling you about the situation. Does it signal danger, loss, success, or a boundary?
Communication
Consider how the emotion communicates to others (tone, body language, behavior). Is that message effective?
Motivation
Identify the action urge the emotion creates. Does it push you toward solving a problem or away from your goals?
Self-Regulation
Explore how the emotion influences your behavior (freeze, attack, avoid). Decide whether to amplify, modulate, or reduce it.
Real-world examples
Anxiety before a presentation
Information: this talk matters. Communication: adrenaline shows investment. Motivation: urges rehearsal and preparation. Regulation: take TIP skills to keep intensity workable.
Guilt after snapping at a friend
Information: I stepped outside my values. Communication: shows I care about repair. Motivation: apologize and make it right. Regulation: use opposite action to reconnect.
Before you write
Pick one situation you are actually likely to face this week. The activity page works best when you complete it for a real moment instead of a hypothetical one.
Worksheet activity
Practice Activity
Complete the function assessment for two emotions this week—one pleasant, one painful.
Reflect and write
What emotion are you analyzing and what sparked it?
What information or signal is it offering?
How is it motivating or communicating through you?
How do you want to regulate it moving forward?