Part Two: DBT ABC PLEASE Skills for Emotional Regulation: Caring for Body and Mind
Updated: 2 hours ago
This article is Part Two of a two-part series on the DBT ABC PLEASE skills. [Part One explores the ABC skills]; here, we focus on PLEASE—daily practices that support physical health and reduce emotional vulnerability.
House of Emotional Resilience
Think of yourself as the builder of your emotional resilience. As you learn and practice DBT skills, you are creating your own [DBT House of Happiness]—one skill at a time.
Mindfulness skills form the foundation. They help us notice our thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, and experiences with greater awareness and less reactivity.
The ABC PLEASE skills make up the first floor of our house. ABC helps us build positive experiences, develop mastery, and prepare for emotional challenges. PLEASE reminds us that our physical well-being matters, too.
When we're hungry, ill, exhausted, physically depleted, or using substances in ways that affect us, managing strong emotions can become much harder. Taking care of the body doesn't eliminate difficult emotions, but it can give us a more stable place from which to respond to them.
Imagine the PLEASE skills as the high-impact windows and doors of your DBT House. They won't prevent every emotional storm, but they can help make the house stronger when the weather gets rough.
The PLEASE skills are proactive self-care: care for your body as part of caring for your emotional health.
PLEASE Skills
PL Treat PhysicaL Illness
When you aren't feeling well, listen to your body and give it appropriate care. Rest when you need rest, stay hydrated, and seek medical care when necessary. Keep up with recommended preventive care, dental care, screenings, vaccinations, physical therapy, and other healthcare appropriate for you. Physical health and emotional well-being are deeply interconnected.
E Balance Eating
Eating regularly and nourishing your body can help support physical and emotional well-being. Aim for balanced meals that work for your body, health needs, culture, preferences, and lifestyle.
If you notice that certain foods consistently leave you feeling unwell, consider discussing your symptoms with a qualified healthcare professional or registered dietitian rather than eliminating foods unnecessarily.
I know personally how much this can matter. I lived with undiagnosed lactose intolerance for many years, and the physical discomfort affected my emotional well-being as well.
A Avoid Mood Altering Drugs
Alcohol, cannabis, recreational drugs, and medications used differently from how they were prescribed can affect mood, sleep, judgment, and emotional regulation. The PLEASE skill encourages us to notice honestly whether a substance is helping us care for ourselves—or becoming a way of coping that creates additional problems.
Other compulsive behaviors can affect emotional well-being too. Shopping, gaming, gambling, or other activities can become problematic when they begin interfering with relationships, responsibilities, finances, health, or daily life.
S Balance Sleep
Sleep and emotional regulation are closely connected. When we're chronically sleep-deprived, it can be harder to manage irritability, anxiety, sadness, and stress.
If you have persistent insomnia or significant daytime sleepiness, talk with your healthcare provider about possible underlying causes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is an evidence-based treatment for chronic insomnia.
E Get Exercise
Regular movement can support mood, sleep, stress regulation, and overall health. And it doesn't have to mean an intense workout. Walking, gardening, swimming, dancing, stretching, or other forms of movement all count.
Choose movement that is enjoyable, accessible, and appropriate for your body. If you're returning to exercise after a long period of inactivity or have health concerns, talk with your healthcare provider about what's appropriate for you.
The body and mind are interconnected. Caring for one supports the other.
