DBT skills · Mindfulness
Wise Mind in DBT: What It Is and How to Practice It
Wise mind is the part of you that can feel what you feel and still see the facts clearly. It is the first skill taught in DBT mindfulness, and the others build on it.
What is wise mind?
In Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Marsha Linehan describes three states of mind. Emotion mind is when feelings drive your thoughts and actions. Reasonable mind is when logic and facts drive them and feelings are pushed aside. Wise mind is where the two overlap: you take both your emotions and the facts into account and act from a sense of knowing what is right for you.
Linehan teaches that everyone has a wise mind, even if it is hard to reach on a bad day. The other DBT mindfulness skills, the "what" skills (observe, describe, participate) and the "how" skills (nonjudgmentally, one-mindfully, effectively), are ways of getting there.
Emotion mind, reasonable mind and wise mind
Here is how each state might respond when a friend cancels plans at the last minute:
| State of mind | What it's like | What it might say |
|---|---|---|
| Emotion mind | Hot, urgent, certain. Facts that don't fit the feeling get ignored. | "They don't care about me. I'm done with them." |
| Reasonable mind | Cool and logical. Feelings get dismissed as irrelevant. | "It's one dinner. It doesn't matter." |
| Wise mind | Calm and settled. Holds the feeling and the facts together. | "I'm hurt, and that's fair. They've cancelled twice, so I'll tell them it matters to me." |
Emotion mind isn't bad, and reasonable mind isn't good. Emotions carry useful information, and logic on its own can miss what matters to you. The trouble comes from acting from only one side.
How do you know you're in wise mind?
- It feels quiet, not urgent. There's often a sense of something clicking into place.
- It still makes sense tomorrow. A decision from emotion mind often looks different once the feeling fades.
- It isn't a compromise. Wise mind isn't half feeling and half logic. It's seeing both clearly at once.
- It can be hard to tell at first. If you're unsure, give it time and ask again later.
5 ways to practice wise mind
These short exercises are adapted from the wise mind practices in Linehan's DBT Skills Training Manual. Each takes a minute or two. Practice them when you're calm, so they are easier to reach for when you're not.
- Stone on a lake. Picture yourself as a small, flat stone tossed onto a clear lake, slowly drifting down through the water and settling on the sandy bottom. Notice the stillness there.
- Spiral staircase. Imagine a staircase spiralling down inside you. Walk down it slowly, step by step, toward your center. Stop wherever feels right, without forcing it.
- Breathe "wise" in, "mind" out. As you breathe in, say "wise" silently. As you breathe out, say "mind." Repeat for a minute, letting your attention settle.
- Ask wise mind a question. Breathing in, silently ask a question, such as "Should I text them tonight?" Breathing out, listen for an answer without forcing one. If nothing comes, try again another time.
- Find the pause. Breathe in, and notice the brief pause at the bottom of the out-breath. Let your attention rest in that pause for a moment before the next breath.
Some days it is easy to find and some days it isn't. Noticing that you're in emotion mind is a mindfulness skill too.
Wise mind vs. Wise Mind ACCEPTS
The names are similar, but they are different skills. Wise mind is a core mindfulness skill. Wise Mind ACCEPTS is a distress tolerance skill for getting through a crisis without making it worse, using distraction: Activities, Contributing, Comparisons, Emotions, Pushing away, Thoughts and Sensations. Your diary card may list them separately.
Tracking wise mind on your diary card
Wise mind is the first skill on the mindfulness section of most DBT diary cards. Tick it on any day you deliberately practiced it, even for a minute, and give the day a 0–7 skills-use rating. A short note helps too, such as "asked wise mind before replying to the text." Over a few weeks, your card can show when wise mind is easiest to reach and which situations pull you into emotion mind.
You can track it on the free online DBT diary card, which has wise mind and 29 other skills on its checklist, or on the printable blank card. To see what a completed week looks like, read the DBT diary card example.
Questions
Is wise mind the same as a gut feeling?
Not quite. A gut feeling can come from strong emotion. Wise mind tends to feel calm and settled, and it still makes sense once the emotion has passed.
Is emotion mind bad?
No. Emotions carry useful information. The problem is acting only from emotion mind, when feelings decide everything and the facts are ignored.
Can I learn wise mind without a therapist?
Many people practice DBT skills on their own, and the exercises above are safe to try. DBT works best with a trained therapist or skills group, though, especially if you're dealing with intense emotions or urges.
Where does the term come from?
Marsha Linehan introduced wise mind as part of the mindfulness module of Dialectical Behavior Therapy, drawing on contemplative practices. It appears in her DBT Skills Training Manual.
Sources
- Linehan, M. M. (2015). DBT Skills Training Manual (2nd ed.). Guilford Press. Mindfulness module: wise mind, states of mind, and ideas for practicing wise mind.
- Linehan, M. M. (2015). DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
- University of Washington Behavioral Research & Therapy Clinics
Important: This article is general education, not medical or mental-health advice. If you are in danger or might act on urges to hurt yourself, call or text 988 in the US, or contact local emergency services.
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