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Emotion Regulation · DBT skill

PLEASE

PhysicaL illness · Eating · mood-Altering substances · Sleep · Exercise

PLEASE is taking care of your body so emotions are less volatile: treat PhysicaL illness, balance Eating, avoid mood-Altering substances, balance Sleep, get Exercise.

The steps

  1. Treat PhysicaL illness — see a doctor when something's wrong, and take medication as prescribed.
  2. Balance Eating — regular meals, not too much and not too little. Skip the foods that reliably leave you worse.
  3. Avoid mood-Altering substances — alcohol and drugs that aren't prescribed make emotions harder to regulate, even in small amounts.
  4. Balance Sleep — enough to feel rested, on a schedule that mostly stays the same. Seven to nine hours for most adults.
  5. Get Exercise — something most days. Twenty minutes is enough to count.

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In practice

When you can't manage a full self-care routine and need the bar lowered.

Examples

  • PhysicaL illness. You've had a sore throat for a week and you're short-tempered with everyone. You see a doctor and take the medicine as prescribed, and your patience comes back.
  • Eating. You skip lunch on busy days and notice you're much more reactive by 3pm. You keep a snack in your bag, and afternoons get easier.
  • Mood-altering substances. A couple of drinks most nights take the edge off, but mornings feel worse. You take a month off and notice your mood is steadier.
  • Sleep. Late-night scrolling has you sleeping five hours. You set a fixed bedtime and leave your phone in another room, and small things stop feeling so big.
  • Exercise. On low days you stop moving entirely. You commit to a 20-minute walk every day, and your energy and mood lift.

Where people get stuck

  • Trying to fix everything at once. Pick the letter that's most off and start there.
  • Letting it slide when emotions run high. That's when being tired, hungry or sick hits hardest.
  • Overcorrecting. Balance means not too much and not too little, for eating and sleep alike.

When not to use it

It's not a substitute for medical care. If something physical is going on, see a doctor.

Related skills

Build Mastery

When you need to remind yourself you're capable

Accumulate Positive Experiences

When the days feel grey or empty

Cope Ahead

When you can see it coming and want to enter it ready

Go deeper

Written by FRTC's clinical team. Reviewed by Tanner Oliver, LCSW.

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