Applying the Four Skill Modules of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Core Mindfulness
Just the other day, I found a few informative memes about mental health through one of my Facebook groups. I downloaded them so I can share them with others and apply them to my mental well-being. Though some of these methods may have been adopted by philosophies contrary to Christian belief, I want to investigate whether these suggestions can align with God’s Word.
What does the Bible say about Core Mindfulness (first on the roadmap of DBT)?
As I investigate the DBT modules, I discover that Core Mindfulness is “based on Eastern Zen philosophy, but includes Western contemplative practices. Mindfulness is an awareness of thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and behavioral urges” (https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/dialectical-behavior-therapy-dbt-core-mindfulness/). The characteristics of Core Mindfulness include: wise mind, observe, describe, participate, non-judgmental stance, one-mindful, and effectiveness. Scripture can be applied to Core Mindfulness because the Bible says to have a wise mind (Proverbs 16:23), observe, by noticing thoughts and feelings before thinking (Proverbs 13:16), be non-judgmental (Matthew 7:1-5), and live in the moment (Matthew 6:34). After analyzing and applying Core Mindfulness to my life, I am also applying biblical principles to my life. I know God advocates for improved mental health. As I have read through the Book of Proverbs, I see that practicing mental well-being is not limited to “New Age” philosophies. Solomon, known for his wisdom, explains in Ecclesiastes 1:9, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”
Wise mind: In order to have a wise mind, you must stay balanced between emotion and reason. Through dealing with depression, I have learned that I cannot live by my feelings (emotion). If I lived according to how I felt, I would not have a job and would probably spend most of my time in from of the television or the computer just zoning out. I would live a life of complete solitude. While experiencing feelings is not wrong, they are temporary so you cannot let them control your life. This is why you need to have balance in your mind. Living by reason means to be realistic about your circumstances. For example: you have a job where you are unhappy most of the time, but you have to stay there for financial reasons. Like most people, I have gone through seasons with job dissatisfaction. I have always enjoyed the work I do, but have run into conflict with coworkers or unpleasant circumstances such as having my hours cut. Due to personal needs (not able to find another job that would work around my college schedule), I chose to stick it out. In order to do this successfully, I had to pray against the negativity and ask God to change my attitude. I have learned God is more concerned about my attitude than circumstances. Yet, there are times when you must make changes. I had a coworker who was bullying me to the point where working with him became unbearable for me. I took action by recording specific incidents and reporting them to my supervisor. To make a long, unpleasant story short, I work different hours so I never have to see him. In this circumstance, I had to have a balance between my emotions and reason.
It is biblical to have a wise mind. According to Proverbs 16:23, “From a wise mind comes wise speech,” (NLT) which indicates the importance of having a wise mind. The Bible also suggests that we are not to be wise in our own eyes (Proverbs 3:7), because wisdom comes from God. James tells his readers that if they lack wisdom, they should ask God and He will give them wisdom (James 1:5). As a believer in Christ, the Word tells me that I have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). While many say the human mind is powerful, having the mind of Christ just blows my mind. I cannot wrap His powerfulness around my head. Does this all mean that I am now free from having mental health issues? I would like to think so and I know that when I get to Heaven, I will no longer suffer in any way physically or mentally. As humans living in a fallen world, we are not free from trials, but as Jesus overcame life and death on the Cross, then rose again and is now seated with His Heavenly Father in Heaven, He gave me His peace (John 16:33). I remind myself of ALL that Jesus had done so that I can have eternal life. Knowing this reassures me that whatever trials I face on this earth, I can get through them with His help.
Observe: How can I notice my thoughts and feelings without reacting? Think before I speak or react. Proverbs 13:16 says, “Wise people think before they act” (NLT). If you want to be wise, do not act on your thoughts and feelings. Others do not have to know every thought you think or every feeling you feel. Sometimes, I am guilty of over-explaining myself. I want people to understand me but not everyone has to. What God thinks of me should matter to me more than what others think of me. Exactly halfway through the Bible, Psalm 118:8 says, “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.” At the halfway point of God's Word, we are reminded that what God thinks matters more than what man thinks. Throughout my life, I have learned to pay attention to how I am feeling before acting on those feelings. I can keep my opinions to myself.
Describe: Put your experiences into words, using just the facts. As a writer, I go beyond the facts more than I intend to. One of my goals, which I’ve fallen away from lately, is to write in my journal daily. I try to simply state what is going on in my life, but feel overwhelmed in stating the facts. I cannot just say what is happening in my life; I must write (or talk) about what I am feeling.
Participate: Throw yourself into something. Part of improving and maintaining your mental health includes getting involved in something outside of yourself. When you participate in life, God blesses you in ways you don’t expect. I have been part of the Celebrate Recovery ministry at my church for over a year now and met my fiancé through this ministry. I joined Celebrate Recovery to improve my mental health and grow in my walk with God, so looking for love at Celebrate Recovery was not my intention.
Lately, thanks to frequent headaches and constant fatigue due to having only half of a thyroid, I prefer to stay at home after busy work days. While, physical rest is important, I know I cannot stay home all the time. Getting involved in life is beneficial to my mental health. I schedule activities such as going to exercise classes, swimming at my local pool, attending church, getting involved in Celebrate Recovery, and this week I plan to help out with Vacation Bible School at my church. Part of getting involved in life outside of my job helps me to not live by how I feel.
Non-judgmental Stance: Do NOT judge yourself or others. Numerous verses in the Bible emphasize that we are not to judge others. In Matthew 7:1-5, Jesus tells His disciples and followers:
Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your bother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
These above verses explain why we should not judge others, because we have our own faults and when we judge others, we will face consequences. My mom likes to say, “The day I am perfect, I will start working on you.” When we treat someone badly, we reap the consequences. For example, after my fiancé criticized me for calling in sick to work, the rest of his day did not go well. He felt awful for the way he acted and apologized to me. I graciously forgave him because I know I am far from perfect so I don’t have room to judge or criticize.
One-mindful: Let go of distractions and be in the moment. Matthew 6:34 tells us, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (NLT). Living in the moment can be hard for worriers like myself. Either we are looking back on past mistakes or we are worrying about how our futures will turn out. I used to worry that I would never find the right man after leaving a failed marriage in 2002. Year after year, I was still single and often wondered I would remain so. I wasn’t getting any younger and sometimes my biological clock was ticking loudly. Now that I’m 42 and have been with my fiancé for over a year, I am not in a huge hurry to have children. In fact, I haven’t even planned a wedding because we are waiting to buy a house. At the moment, we are dealing with a few issues about this house but I’m trying to live for today and know that God has our future in His hands.
Effectiveness: Do what works for you. I’m one of these people who like to keep a consistent schedule by waking up and going to bed around the same time each day, even on vacations. I find that sticking to a schedule is effective for me. I cannot stay up too late because the next day, I don’t function as well as I would like to. Just the other day, a friend of mine was talking about how she eats only once a day and thinks everyone could do the same. She went on about how she believes the food industry has brainwashed us into thinking we should eat three meals a day and a few snacks in between. I silently disagreed with her because I know eating only once a day is not effective for me. I tried doing that in my younger days which led to headaches and binges. In order to keep my blood sugar stabilized throughout the day and to prevent headaches and the temptation to binge, I need to eat several smaller-sized meals throughout the day. If people can eat only once a day and it works for them, great. I have learned that I cannot do what others think I should do, unless I find it effective for myself.
I pray that with God’s guidance, I can successfully practice core mindfulness and improve my mental health. I pray that for everyone else as well. Remember to take care of you!
