7 Wonderful Ways To Practice DBT How Skills to Master Mindfulness

Do you struggle practicing mindfulness as part of DBT? Or do you just struggle practicing mindfulness full stop? If so, this guide is for you.

I’m going to discuss how we can use the ‘How Skills’ to be more effective in our mindfulness practice, and give you 7 ways to do so.

They are:

1. Eating
2. Watching Nature
3. Holding Your Breath
4. Listening to Music
5. Taking a Bath
6. Looking at Social Media
7. Gardening

I’ve practiced this skill as part of my own skills training numerous times and I have to say it is easily one of the most important skills you’ll use as part of dialectical behavior therapy.

I’ll show you exactly how to practice the dbt how skills and improve your mindfulness skills at the same time. Lets take a moment first to understand each skill and the need for it.

What Are the DBT How Skills?

In case you don’t know – the How Skill is a part of the mindfulness skills included in DBT skills training (Dialectical Behaviour Therapy). It’s broken into three parts to help you understand HOW to practice mindfulness effectively: Non-Judgmentally, One Mindfully, and Effectively. These all assist in effective and healthy mindfulness practice and are part of core mindfulness skills and dbt techniques.

What is Non-Judgmentally?

Non-Judgmentally: When we actively take a non judgmental stance on our thoughts, emotions, and feelings, and don’t assign labels or evaluations to them. It helps us view all thoughts as equal and encourages us to not expect perfection. Rather, we become willing to foster understanding and compassion of ourselves and others.

Being non judgmental helps us to accept our everyday lives and improve our emotion regulation by allowing us to see our mental health and the world around us with fresh eyes.

It challenges our automatic response of evaluating and assessing everything, which, while useful for navigation, often results in a negative environment filled with shame, sadness, and guilt.

We give ourselves the chance to perceive our thoughts, the actions of others, and our surroundings from a perspective that is unclouded by our biases and preconceptions. This results in less intense emotions and volatile reactions, and better awareness of ourselves and others feelings.

Ok, hopefully you see how this fits into the DBT how skills and why it’s valuable as you practice mindfulness – letting go of judgments is important because you can fully immerse yourself without labelling, having to assess things, and getting stuck on how you should feel or what you should be doing.

Here’s a video that explains this nicely:

What is One-Mindfully?

One-Mindfully: When we just do one thing at a time. Nothing more, nothing less. We are anchored to the present moment. In fact, this forms a key component of dbt mindfulness skills and dialectical behavioral therapy in general.

You fully immerse yourself in what you’re doing and don’t divide your attention by doing anything else. Just one thing at a time. Whether it’s eating, working, or conversing with a friend, one-mindfully encourages you to give your complete attention to that activity. Just a few minutes practicing this can make a huge difference.

This approach helps counteract tendencies to dwell on the past, worry about the future, or get caught up in negative moods and anxieties. By engaging in tasks with complete attention, you strengthen your ability to concentrate and remain present, which is essential for absorbing and applying DBT skills effectively.

Take a look at this video for a good description:

What is Effectively?

Effectively: When we do what works best in any given situation rather than getting entangled in who (or what) is right or wrong. Being effective is regularly allowing yourself to let go of the need to feel right. Said another way, we let go of the desire to be right, and instead do what works based on our DBT skills.

Acting effectively is often associated with our ability to radically accept a situation (another aspect of skills training in DBT). Being happy with an unpleasant situation or person isn’t necessary. Probably, it’s better and more effective to just let it go – you radically accept the situation as it is – that is being effective in action. When you accept the situation, it doesn’t mean you condone it – you’re just not giving yourself more work by fighting something that can’t be changed.

Ok, now that we’ve covered what the how skills are, lets looks ways to use them to practice mindfulness.

The 7 Best Ways to Use DBT How Skills to Practice Mindfulness

I’ve broken these down into the three dbt how skills – non judgmental, one mindfully, and effectively. We’ll practice them by channeling our focus into an activity as that’s an effective (wink wink) way of doing it!

1. Eating

Non-Judgmental: Eat without labeling foods as “good” or “bad” or criticizing yourself for your food choices. Appreciate the variety of flavors and textures as they are.

One-Mindful: Give your full attention to the act of eating. Savour each bite, noticing the smells, tastes, and sensations, and resist the urge to eat while distracted (e.g., watching TV).

Effective: Select foods that nourish your body and satisfy your hunger, considering both enjoyment and nutritional value. Plan your meals to support your overall well-being.

2. Watching Nature

Non-Judgmental: Observe the natural world around you without assigning judgments to what you see. Appreciate the beauty and imperfections equally.

One-Mindful: Be fully present in the experience of watching nature. Whether observing a sunset or watching birds, immerse yourself completely in the moment.

Effective: Engage with nature in ways that rejuvenate you. Choose settings or times that enhance your connection to the natural world and your sense of peace.

3. Holding your Breath

Non-Judgmental: Approach this exercise without assessing your capacity or comparing it to others. Accept your breath-holding ability as it is at this moment, recognizing that it can vary day by day.

One-Mindful: Concentrate solely on the experience of holding your breath. Notice the initial comfort, the growing urge to breathe, and the sensations in your body, keeping your mind focused on this singular experience.

Effective: Use breath-holding exercises to enhance your mindfulness and stress management skills. Practice in a safe and controlled manner, gradually increasing your comfort and capacity in a way that benefits your overall well-being.

I love practicing dbt how skills this way 🙂

4. Listening to Music

Non-Judgmental: Listen to music without categorising it or judging your taste. Allow yourself to experience the music fully, whether it’s a genre you’re unfamiliar with or a song you’ve heard a thousand times. It’s helpful to close your eyes I find.

One-Mindful: Immerse yourself in the act of listening. Pay attention to each instrument, note, and lyric, experiencing the music with your whole being without distraction.

Effective: Choose music that resonates with your current emotional state or desired mood. Listening to music mindfully can be a powerful way to enhance your mood, relax your mind, or energize your body.

5. Taking a bath

Non-Judgmental: Experience the act of bathing without evaluating your body or the experience. Accept and appreciate the moment for its soothing qualities.

One-Mindful: Immerse yourself fully in the sensations of bathing—the warmth of the water, the scent of soap, the feeling of relaxation.

Effective: Turn bathing into a self-care ritual that not only cleanses the body but also soothes the mind. Choose bath products and settings that enhance this calming experience.

6. Looking at Social Media

Non-Judgmental: Engage with social media content without passing judgment on yourself or others. Recognize the tendency to compare and critique, and consciously choose to observe content with openness and curiosity.

One-Mindful: Focus on one post, image, or video at a time. Resist the urge to scroll mindlessly. Give your full attention to what you’re viewing, allowing yourself to be fully present with the content.

Effective: Use social media purposefully, selecting content that uplifts, educates, or connects you with others in meaningful ways. Set boundaries to ensure your social media use supports your mental health and well-being.

Put your DBT how skills into action with this one – it’ll be challenging!

7. Gardening

Non-Judgmental: Observe the process of gardening without labeling it as tedious or rewarding, or judging your gardening skills. Accept the moment, whether you’re pulling weeds or admiring the blooms, without attaching value judgments to the tasks or their outcomes.

One-Mindful: Focus solely on the gardening task at hand, whether it’s planting, watering, or pruning. Notice the feel of the soil, the colors of the plants, and the sounds of nature around you, immersing yourself fully in the experience.

Effective: Engage in gardening with a purpose that aligns with your goals—be it cultivating fresh produce, beautifying your space, or simply enjoying the therapeutic benefits of connecting with nature. Use tools and techniques that enhance your gardening effectiveness, adapting your approach as needed based on the conditions of your garden.

Final Thoughts & My Insights

Understanding more about dbt mindfulness skills really is at the core of getting the most out of dbt and finding more peace and tranquility in your life. If you’ve been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, bi-polar, or any other mental health conditions, you’ll find that learning these skills will be invaluable to you. I’m talking from experience here.

Even if you’ve not been diagnosed, you’ll find value in holding back with judgements, doing one thing at a time, and acting effectively.

We’ve discussed only half of the equation in this article, the what skills go into what you can do to practice mindfulness and looking at things from a wise mind way will also help.

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