Module 1. Mindfulness: (Discussion #5) Mental Noting

DBTuesday is a series of posts where we explore skills and concepts from dialectical behavior therapy (DBT).

This is one of several posts focusing on mindfulness, which is the first module of DBT skills training. See this post for general info about DBT and this post for more info about mindfulness.

What is mental noting?

In the previous post, we described the mindfulness skill of describing, which is putting experiences into words.

One specific application of this is mental noting, which is using a single word to label experiences as they happen.

Examples of mental noting

Here are some examples of things we might note:

• Experiences (e.g. “hearing”, “seeing”, “touching”, “feeling”, “thinking”)
• Sensations (e.g. “warmth”, “coolness”, “pressure”, “tightness”)
• Emotions (e.g. “happiness”, “sadness”, “excitement”, “fear”)
• Thoughts (e.g. “wanting”, “planning”, “resisting”)
• Breath (e.g. “rising”, “falling”, “inhale”, “exhale”)
  
  

Benefits of mental noting

Using thoughts as an anchor
Often thinking can pull us out of what we’re experiencing. Here we’re using thoughts to keep us focused on what is happening. Mental noting involves just a single word, so it’s less likely to be distracting than most thinking.

Giving our thinking mind something to do
Mental noting is pretty clever. Instead of trying to suppress our thinking mind, we’re just giving it something different to do. 😊

Helping to stay calm
If we’re in the middle of a really strong or difficult experience, having that word from mental noting can be something neutral or calming to focus on and rest in.

Reflection

Feel free to share any thoughts, feelings, or reactions you have after reading this.


Source:
https://www.insightmeditationcenter.org/books-articles/mental-noting/