O bserve:

Notice and name what you're feeling, be as specific as possible

Observe your physical sensations
Don't judge emotions as good or bad, describe them instead, ie: "This is uncomfortable"
Observe thoughts instead of believing them, ie: "I'm having the thought that they're
judging me"

W illing to Feel:
Sit with your feelings instead of trying to fix them right away
Slow down and don't avoid situations or run amuck/act rashly
Grounding skills- get back into your body, make space for sensations
Nervous system calming- slow breathing, the yawn, shake it out, progressive muscle
relaxation
lean in instead of distracting
If sitting/willingness is too hard, do it on paper (Brain Dump)

E xplore:
Make it concrete:
Write about it
Talk about it
Diagram it
Clarify- Ask, "Am I in physical danger right now?", "What messages do these emotions have
for me?" (Are my emotions trying to tell me something, or are they a smoke alarm+bacon?)
Explore thoughts:
What thoughts are making this worse?
Cognitive distortions?
Underlying beliefs about yourself or the world?

C hoose:
Locus of Control activity- The Serenity Prayer
Values Clarification activity

A ct and Accept:
Act- here's what I'm going to do to make things better/act on my values
Accept- here's what I can't change: I'll let go, practice willingness, calm my body, and
redirect my energy to what I can change.
What are 1-2 small actions I could take? Are there any?

N -Because O, WE CAN.You can do this! You can do hard things! You can work through
your emotions, resolve them and get better at feeling!

Therapy in a Nutshell