Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training

Emotion Regulation Module

Activity 1: Pros and Cons of Changing Emotions

Complete this activity (or fill out the worksheet) when you are experiencing difficulties with:

• Trying to decide whether to work on changing ineffective emotions.
• Feeling willful/saying no to letting go of emotion mind.
• Deciding whether to work on reducing your emotional reactions to specific events.
• Feeling threatened whenever you think of letting go of emotions.
• Not in the mood for being effective.

When completing this activity (or filling out the worksheet), think about these questions:

• Is living in emotion mind in your best interest (i.e., effective) or not in your best interest (i.e., ineffective)?
• Will refusing to regulate your own emotions create a new problem for you?
• Is reducing immediate high emotions likely to increase your freedom or decrease it?
• Is being attached to your emotions about a situation useful or not?
• Is working to reduce your emotion really too much work?