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From DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets, Second Edition  by Marsha M. Linehan. Copyright 2015 by Marsha M. Linehan. Permis -
sion to photocopy this worksheet is granted to purchasers of this book for personal use only (see copyright page for details). Purchasers may 
download a larger version of this worksheet from www.guilford.com/dbt-  
worksheets .distress tolerance WorksHeet 12   (Distress Tolerance Handouts 15, 15a)
mindfulness of c urrent Thoughts
Due Date:       Name:                   Week Starting:  
Describe your efforts to observe your thoughts in the past week. Practice observing thoughts each 
day at least once. Don’t focus just on thoughts that are painful, anxiety-  provoking, or full of anger; 
also observe and be mindful of pleasant or neutral thoughts. For each thought, first practice saying, 
“The thought [describe thought] went through my mind.” Then practice one or more strategies to 
observe and let go of thoughts.
Check off  any of the following exercises that you did.
 1. Used words and voice tone to say a thought over and over; as fast as I could; very, very 
slowly; in a voice different from mine; as a dialogue on a TV comedy show; or as singing.
 2. Relaxed my face and body imagining accepting my thoughts as sensations of my brain.
 3. Imagined what I would do if I stopped believing everything I think.
 4. Rehearsed in my mind what I would do if I did not view my thoughts as facts.
 5. Practiced loving my thoughts as they went through my mind.