Managing Highly Emotional Situations with Wise Mind

Life can be stressful and situations can trigger us into an Emotional Mind without us even realizing it. We can probably all recall a time that we got caught up in emotion and reacted in an impulsive and/or unhelpful way. Sometimes we go to the other extreme by shutting down our emotions as a defense mechanism or way of coping. Wise Mind is a DBT skill that helps us create balance and make mindful decisions. 

In Rational Mind, decisions are based on logic, facts, and evidence. It focused on tasks, past experiences, research, and planning. If we only use a Rational Mind, we lose sight of our feelings and values. 

Here are some tips to engage an Emotional Mind allowing you to balance out a Rational Mind and move into a Wise Mind. 

• Listen to or play some music 

• Do something creative such as doodling or coloring

• Bring your attention to your breath and count your in and out breaths

In Emotional Mind, decisions are made from an emotional place. It is ruled by feelings and urges, which makes reason and logic difficult. If we only use an Emotional Mind, we can be reactive or impulsive not making thoughtful decisions. 

Here are some tips to engage a Rational Mind allowing you to balance out an Emotional Mind and move into a Wise Mind 

• Pull out some paper to do some writing or journaling

• Challenge yourself with some math problems 

• Do a crossword puzzle, word research, or suduko 

In Wise Mind, decisions are made based on both reason and emotions. It considers both areas and helps us think more clearly in highly emotional situations. This is a balanced approach that allows us to live more mindfully. 

Here are some tips to reach Wise Mind 

• Observe and identify your thoughts and emotions 

• Acknowledge and validate both your Emotional Mind and Rational Mind before making a decision *sometimes writing this down can help

• Practice Mindfulness: take a walk to explore nature, spend a few minutes focused on your breath, or use a meditation app like HeadSpace or Calm.

Credit: Principals based on DBT, developed by Marsha M. Linehan