Module 3. Emotion Regulation: (Discussion #3) ABC PLEASE - Accumulate Positive Experiences ("A")
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 emotion regulation, which is the third module of DBT skills training. See this post for general info about DBT and this post for more info about emotion regulation.
Overview of ABC PLEASE
ABC PLEASE is a group of emotion regulation skills for taking care of yourself and reducing vulnerability to negative emotions.
- Accumulate positive emotions: regularly create positive experiences
- Build mastery: work on hobbies, skills, and things that create a sense of competence or progress
- Cope ahead: prepare an action plan ahead of time for future stressful situations
- Physical iLlness: treat physical illness, use prescribed medications or treatments
- Eating: maintain nutrition and energy
- Avoid mood-altering substances: avoid non-prescribed drugs
- Sleep: get an adequate amount of sleep
-
Exercise: engage in regular exercise
This post will focus on the first skill of accumulating positive emotions. This skill involves creating positive experiences, which in turn creates positive emotions.
Why accumulate positive emotions
Having positive experiences protects us from negative experiences. The more positive experiences we have, the less troubled we are by negative experiences.
An analogy many DBT authors use to describe this is keeping enough money in a bank account:
- When we have positive experiences, we are adding money to our account
- When we have negative experiences, we are taking money out of our account
- The more money we have saved up, the less stressed we are if some money is taken out
We tend to feel things are going well if we have more positive experiences than negative experiences. Positive experiences also create good memories we can find uplifting or comforting in the future.
Types of positive experiences
Positive experiences can be either short-term or long-term:
- Short-term experience: any activity that you enjoy and are able to do regularly
-
Long-term experience: any action that has a meaningful, lasting impact
Short-term positive experiences
The keys for short-term positive experiences are:
- Find activities you enjoy
- Do them often!
- Be mindfully present
It may also be helpful to have different options depending on whether you are in a high-energy or low-energy mood.
- Examples of high-energy activities: running, walking, playing with a pet, socializing, etc.
- Examples of low-energy activities: watch a TV show or movie, journal, read, etc.
HERE is a resource that lists 216 different pleasant activities. 😊
Long-term positive experiences
Long-term experiences are about accumulating experiences and doing actions that create a sense of a meaningful, worthwhile life over the long-term.
Here are some things that may be helpful for this:
- Identify your values: create a list of your top values and prioritize the things you value when making choices
- Identify your long-term goals: create a list of long-term goals that feel like they match your values
- Take small steps toward your goals: break down your goals into smaller, feasible steps and then work on those smaller tasks
-
Maintain healthy relationships: create new relationships based on shared activities or interests; maintain and nurture existing relationships with people you are close to or spend a lot of time with
Reflection
1) What are some sources of short-term positive experiences in your life?
2) What are some sources of long-term positive experiences in your life?
Sources:
https://dbt.tools/emotional_regulation/abc-please.php
https://sunrisertc.com/dbt-emotion-regulation-skills
https://sunrisertc.com/abc-please-skills/
https://dbtselfhelp.com/dbt-skills-list/emotion-regulation/abc-please/
https://dbtselfhelp.com/dbt-skills-list/emotion-regulation/increasing-positive-emotions/
https://cornercanyoncounseling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Pleasurable-Activities.pdf
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/click-here-happiness/201807/39-core-values-and-how-live-them
@QuietMagic
Hey hey Josh (me again yes lol), in an attempt to not come off as repetitive about how I feel about your posts, I'll just say, thankyou for yet another "QuietMagic's" style post, it means mindbogglingly amazing :P 😊❤
I really enjoyed reading about this, many thanks for compiling such wonderful information, also the resource list is quite helpful, I saved it as well!
The analogy about bank and money is a great one, I like how it affirms that we can also thrive on "saved" money in times of a shortage of new deposits.
I see collecting positive experiences, things, also being around positive and uplifting people similarly- and right on, having positive, bright and supportive relationships are great to "bank" on, as well!
Also I feel, we can try seeing this like a box too, a box of feelings/ thoughts/ experiences, a box that has limited storage space, so when there's alot of *positive* ones, the negativity has to try really hard to enter and make a comfy space for itself inside this "box", sadly though, it's also true in a vice versa situation, when there's negative thoughts and feelings, it's also hard to let the positivity in, that's where the short term and long term sources of feeling good and more positive come in and ofcourse, we can try and take small steps, and let positivity in, slowly...let it sit comfortably in the box and continue to "feed" it and to take good care of it, so it grows stronger and firm enough to not allow itself to displace easily! 😊
I like being around cheerful, supportive, uplifting, kind people- always a positive experience with them. Besides, learning about new things, exploring places, traveling, even watching travel vlogs lol, movies, shows, music, taking walks, being in nature, napping, nomming good food (pizzaaa:p), being in cups etc are some of my short term+ long term sources of positivity!
How about yourself?
@Sunisshiningandsoareyou
Wow, thank you again! I'm glad you liked it. 😊 I think I made the right choice by splitting ABC PLEASE into multiple posts so that each topic could get a deeper presentation. I didn't look through the activity list carefully but it seemed really big, lol.
I love your analogy of a box that can only fit so many things. That feels like it might fit my experience better than the bank account analogy. If my attention is preoccupied with something, I don't have a lot of room for other things (whether positive or negative). So I sometimes have to "clear" things out to create space for new things. And in general I have to prioritize what things I give my attention to.
That is a lot of enjoyable things! I'd say Scrabble is one of my main short-term activities right now, and the work I do for my job and on 7 Cups helps provide some of that long-term meaning.
@QuietMagic
Oooh yes, definitely the right choice! Many thanks for taking the time to explain each of these individually!
I'm glad you could resonate with the "box" analogy too, and yes indeed, all about prioritising and making necessary adjustments in that limited space.
Scrabble is indeed so fun, and yay to hear about your long term positive sources too! May your "box" be full of positivity always! 😊