Distress Tolerance · DBT skill
Mindfulness of Current Thoughts
Mindfulness of Current Thoughts is watching your thoughts as passing events in your mind, not as facts or orders, so they have less power over what you do.
The steps
- Picture a river. Each thought is a leaf floating past on the current.
- Watch them go by. You don't have to grab any of them.
- When you notice you've been carried downstream, climb back to the bank.
- Watch again. The thoughts keep coming; that's fine. You're the watcher.
When it helps
When you're stuck in a loop or can't tell what's true.
An example
Before a presentation, the thought "I'm going to embarrass myself" keeps looping. Someone notices the thought arising, lets it rise and fall like a wave, and goes back to reviewing their first slide.
Where people get stuck
- Arguing with the thought. Debating it keeps you hooked; notice it and let it pass.
- Trying to stop thinking. The goal is a different relationship with your thoughts, not an empty mind.
- Getting pulled into the story. Noticing that you've drifted in is the practice, not a failure of it.
When not to use it
When a thought points to a real problem that needs action, like a bill that's due: note it and deal with it.
If you're thinking about suicide or are in crisis, call or text 988 any time, or go to your nearest emergency room.
Related skills
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