How DBT Can Help You Manage Anxiety: Unique Strategies You Might Not Know

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is well-known for its effectiveness in managing intense emotions, but did you know it can also be a game-changer for anxiety? While DBT is often associated with treating borderline personality disorder, its principles and techniques are highly effective for reducing anxiety and reshaping the way we respond to it.

If you’re looking for some fresh ideas to manage anxiety, here are ten unique ways DBT can help:

 

1. Willingness Over Willfulness

Anxiety often creates a battle between resisting discomfort and desperately trying to control outcomes. DBT encourages willingness, which means accepting the present moment and leaning into it instead of resisting.

Try this:

Visualize yourself “opening your hands” to the situation, both physically and mentally, and say to yourself, “This is hard, but I’m willing to try.”

2. Pros and Cons for Avoidance Behaviors

Avoidance is a common response to anxiety, but it often reinforces the fear and makes the anxiety worse. DBT’s Pros and Cons tool helps evaluate the short-term comfort of avoiding anxiety triggers versus the long-term benefits of facing them.

Try this:

Write down the pros and cons of facing versus avoiding a specific anxiety-inducing situation. Reflect on how avoidance impacts your goals and relationships over time.

 

3. Reality Testing with ‘Check the Facts’

Anxiety thrives on distorted thoughts and worst-case scenarios. DBT’s Check the Facts skill teaches you to challenge these distortions with evidence-based thinking.

Try this:

Write down your anxious thought and ask, “What evidence supports this?” and “What evidence doesn’t?” Then, reframe the thought to reflect the full picture.

4. Find Your Wise Mind

Anxiety can tip the balance into either emotional overdrive or overly logical detachment. DBT helps you find Wise Mind, a state that balances emotion and reason for clear, grounded decision-making.

Try this:

Practice brief Wise Mind meditations by visualizing a calm, wise advisor guiding you during moments of doubt.

 

5. Opposite Action with Physical Posture Shifts

Anxiety doesn’t just affect your mind; it impacts your body. Adopting a confident physical posture can send calming signals to your brain and reduce anxiety’s grip.

Try this:

When feeling anxious, stand tall, roll your shoulders back, and take deep breaths. Even smiling can counteract anxious tension.

6. Behavioral Activation for Anxiety Paralysis

Anxiety can leave you stuck, unable to move forward. DBT’s Behavioral Activation involves taking small, intentional actions to combat this paralysis.

Try this:

Break a daunting task into tiny steps. Commit to working on it for just five minutes, knowing you can stop if needed—but you might find momentum to keep going.

 

7. Use Metaphors to Shift Perspective

Anxiety often feels overwhelming because we identify so closely with it. Metaphors can help create distance and reframe your experience.

Try this:

Picture your anxiety as a wave—it rises, crests, and falls, but it won’t last forever. Alternatively, think of anxiety as a radio playing in the background. You don’t have to engage with it; just let it be.

8. Practice Radical Acceptance of Uncertainty

One of anxiety’s biggest triggers is the fear of the unknown. DBT’s Radical Acceptance skill encourages embracing life’s uncertainties rather than fighting them.

Try this:

Repeat the mantra, “I don’t have to know everything right now.” Pair this with mindfulness practices that focus on letting go of the need to control.

 

9. Create a ‘Cope Ahead’ Toolkit

Preparation reduces anxiety about future challenges. DBT’s Cope Ahead strategy helps you proactively plan for anxiety-inducing situations.

Try this:

Identify potential triggers and brainstorm specific coping strategies for each one. Include sensory tools, grounding exercises, or affirmations in a physical or mental “toolkit” for quick access.

10. Leverage Creative Outlets

Expressing emotions through creativity can provide relief from anxiety while also channeling your energy into something meaningful.

Try this:

Use journaling to externalize anxious thoughts or engage in a creative activity like painting, dancing, or playing music to express emotions physically.

Why DBT Works for Anxiety

DBT combines acceptance and change, helping you tolerate distressing emotions while building a toolkit of skills to reshape unhelpful patterns. Whether you’re battling generalized anxiety, social fears, or situational stress, DBT can provide a structured, empowering approach.

By incorporating these less common DBT strategies into your anxiety management routine, you can build resilience and gain a sense of control over your mind and body.

Would you like to explore any of these skills in greater depth or learn how to apply them to your unique challenges? Call us for DBT therapy.

If you found this post helpful, consider sharing it with someone who might benefit!