MINDFULNESS IN ACTION TECHNIQUES

These techniques are useful for bring mindfulness into the activities of everyday life. They also are a good place to start with clients who have very low impulse control and distress tolerance. Linehan (2003 pp170-171 & 174-175) describes a number of these techniques as a way of developing distress tolerance in her “Skills Training Manual for Treating Borderline Personality Disorder”

Mindfulness in action techniques include:

Focusing awareness of an aspect of a physical habit that previously has largely been outside of conscious awareness e.g.

• Noticing how tight you hold the steering wheel when driving.
• Being aware of what happens to your breathing or voice tone in an argument.

Focusing awareness on the breath when a specified environmental cue occurs. This technique has been described in detail by Thich Nhat Hanh (1991 pp22-30 ). The cues we might use include:

Waiting for phone to be answered

Waiting at a red traffic light

Walking

Listening to Music

Getting Dressed

Detailed awareness of the mental phenomena associated with cravings such as thoughts, physical sensations and feelings. This is different to urge surfing as this technique includes no expectation that the craving will be outlasted.