Emotion Regulation
Emotion Regulation (Overview)
Emotion Regulation skills help you understand and influence emotions—so you can reduce vulnerability, change emotions that don’t fit the facts, and experience more balanced moods.
Tip: jot notes below, then print or “Save as PDF.”
How to practice it
Move through each step slowly. Notice what the skill asks for and how you can experiment in real life.
1
Understand and name emotions
Use mindfulness to identify which emotion is present, what triggered it, and how it shows up in your body and urges.
2
Reduce vulnerability (ABC PLEASE)
Keep yourself resilient with positive experiences, mastery, coping ahead, and strong physical self-care.
3
Check the facts
Confirm whether the emotion fits the facts. If it doesn’t, use Opposite Action. If it does, problem-solve or ride it out.
4
Act effectively
Choose the skill that best matches the moment—self-soothe, TIP, Opposite Action, or DEAR MAN—to meet your goals.
Real-world examples
Try spotting moments like these in your week. Notice how the skill changes the ripple effect of a tough situation.
You feel jealous. You note the emotion, check the facts (your partner is being transparent), challenge the story, and choose Opposite Action by expressing appreciation.
Depression creeps in. You reinforce PLEASE habits, schedule positive activities, check the facts (no objective failure), and use Opposite Action to get outside despite the urge to stay in bed.
Practice Activity
Reflect on a recent emotional episode. Map how you could use the Emotion Regulation flow—understand, reduce vulnerability, check facts, act effectively.
What emotion did you feel? What were the sensations and urges?
What vulnerability factors were present?
Did the emotion fit the facts? Why or why not?
What skillful action could you choose next time?
Want to practice emotion regulation with the WithMarsha app?
WithMarsha guides you through this skill in real time, keeps track of your practice, and helps you build your DBT toolkit day by day.
Download WithMarsha