DBT: understanding and regulating emotions · worksheet 78
When life revolves around crises, pleasant moments get forgotten. Adding them deliberately, every day, makes you stronger in the face of difficult emotions.
Before you start
- What it is for: To put pleasant moments back into your life and become stronger in the face of difficult emotions.
- 10 minutes to make the list and a minute a day to write things down, for a week.
- When difficult emotions take up a lot of space, good moments become rare. Scheduling them deliberately helps restore the balance.
- What matters is not just doing them: it is being present while you experience them.
Prefer paper? Download the PDF to print (with a page for psychologists).
What to do with your results
Look at the pleasure you felt: even 3 or 4 out of 10 counts. Over time, these moments build an emotional “cushion”.
If you find it hard
If nothing gives you pleasure right now, choose activities that used to and do them anyway: pleasure often returns after action.
For psychologists
The PDF also includes a page for the psychologist: how to run the exercise in session, points to watch and scientific references. You are free to use it with your clients.
For psychologists: aim, audience and duration
Increase pleasant experiences in the short term and values-based activities in the long term, to reduce vulnerability to painful emotions.
Frequent difficult emotions, life centred on managing crises. Duration: 15 min in session; daily.
References
Linehan, M. M. (2015). DBT Skills Training Manual (2nd ed.). Guilford.
Martell, C. R., Dimidjian, S. & Herman-Dunn, R. (2010). Behavioral Activation for Depression: A Clinician’s Guide. Guilford.
These worksheets do not replace therapy. If you are in distress or having suicidal thoughts, call your local emergency number (112 in Europe; 3114 in France, free, 24/7).
Free worksheet for non-commercial use: you may share it with credit to the author, without modifying it (Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence).
