Wise Mind "ACCEPTS"
The "ACCEPTS" skills help distract us from from our emotional pain. Why do we sometimes need to be distracted from our pain?
Sometimes our pain is overwhelming and sometimes our pain is related to situations that we cannot change. Continuing to focus on our pain can lead to us getting stuck in certain emotions.
How can the "IMPROVE" the Moment skills help us when we are dealing with emotional pain?
These skills can help us soothe ourselves or decrease our negative feelings by giving different meaning to the situation.
What are the five senses that can be used in self-soothing skills?
Touch, smell, sight, taste, and hearing.
What is the four block Pros & Cons list and why is it used?
The four block Pros & Cons list has you list the two possible behaviors your could engage in and helps you figure out how both choices would have positive and negative effects for you. You list the pros and cons for both in the same chart and list if the outcomes would be short or long term.
What does it mean to be willing? Give two examples.
Willing means that you make efforts to help, try something, accept things for what they are & not fight against them.
How can "contributing" or helping other people help distract us from our pain?
Helping others allows us to take the focus of our ourselves and focus on someone else. Helping others may also lead to us having some positive emotions.
The "E" stands for encouragement. What is an example of how you can encourage yourself when you are facing difficult feelings or situations?
--Saying positive things to yourself like, "You are strong, you can get through this". --reminding yourself that things won't always feel this bad since feelings come and go -- remembering the goals you are working towards
What does it mean to "self-soothe"?
Utilizing your five senses to give yourself kindness and compassion with actions that are soothing or feel good to you to help with painful emotions and harmful urges.
When would you write out a pros and cons for crisis or harmful behaviors?
When you're in Wise Mind!! Then save it and have it for later when Emotion Mind tries to take over
What does it mean to be willful?
Willful means wanting to only have things your way, refusing to cooperate, fighting against reality.
What activities can help us have "opposite emotions" if we are feeling really sad?
Examples: Exercising, helping someone, watching a funny TV show, spending time with one of your favorite friends.
What are some examples of a brief "Vacation" that could be used.
Going to a movie, taking a day trip, spending time away from your phone, getting cozy and doing nothing for an hour or two, etc.
What are 3 self-soothing skills that involve "touch"?
Examples: Laying under a soft blanket, taking a cold/hot shower, playing with a stress ball, putting on lotion.
Why do we bother listing the pros and cons of the option we know can be harmful?
We want to increase buy in for the effective choice, don't want to be naive that the harmful behavior is there for a reason/served a function.
How can being "willing" help us accept what is going on in our life?
Being "willing" can help us accept that there are certain things in our lives we cannot change and we do the best we can in trying to move forward. Not allowing ourselves to get stuck in certain emotions.
Fill in the blank: Using ____________ can help us mentally set aside the current situation until we are able to address it without engaging in crisis behaviors.
Pushing Away
The "I" stands for "Imagery". What is imagery and how can it help you deal with difficult feelings and situations?
--Imagery is using your mind to imagine a safe place, a happy memory, hearing a family member's words. --Imagery can help distract us from the painful feelings we are having and possibly even decrease our painful feelings.
Name 3 self-soothing skills that you've used recently and worked well.
What are some ways you can have access to your pros and cons for quick use in a crisis and where can you get ideas for behaviors to do a pros and cons for?
Take a picture on your phone, write it on something small and put it in your wallet/behind your phone case. Check your diary card, those target behaviors are a great way to start using pros and cons!
How can being “willful” get in the way of us dealing with our pain and moving forward?
When we are "willful", we can get stuck in certain feelings and stay suffering. We can ignore reality and not observe it for what it is, keeping us unable to problem solve how to tolerate or change it.
You are in very high distress and at your skills breakdown point, so you decide to work on some puzzles, counting, or repeat the lyrics to a song you know well. Which ACCEPTS skill is this?
With other Thoughts
Talk about how you used 2 of these skills in the past and how they helped you deal with difficult feelings or situation. Imagery, Meaning, Prayer, Relaxation, One thing in the Moment, Vacation, Encouragement
Examples:
Imagery--Imagined a funny cartoon character, imagined sitting on the beach and feeling the warm breeze. Meaning-- Writing poetry, identifying some life goals, looking foward to trying some new experiences. Peace--Warm bubble bath, taking a walk near a stream, listening to calming music. Relaxation--Deep breathing, muscle relaxation, stretching, yoga. One thing in the Moment--Focusing all of your attention on a mindfulness activity such as blowing bubbles, coloring a picture, listening to the words of a song. Vacation--Taking a short break from responsibilities. Allowing ourselves to take a short nap before finishing homework, eating a snack and then completing chores. Encouragement--Telling ourselves positive things that will motivate us: "You have dealt with much worse situations in your life. You can make it through this, too", reminding ourselves of the success we are making towards our goals.
What can make it hard to self-soothe?
Feeling overwhelmed by your emotions or that you don't deserve to feel better, having strong thoughts/urges to be unsafe, overusing the skill at other times, etc..
Talk about a time when you used a pros & list. Talk about how it helped you decide what you needed to do in your life.
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Give an example of how you have shown "willing" behaviors and an example of "willful" behaviors. What was the outcome?
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