Quick answer: DBT mindfulness is split into WHAT you do — observe, describe and participate — and HOW you do it — non-judgmentally, one-mindfully and effectively. The three WHAT skills are three ways of paying attention. The three HOW skills describe the manner you bring to each one. Together they are the foundation the other three DBT modules assume.
What are the three WHAT skills?
The WHAT skills answer the question “what am I doing with my attention right now?”
- Observe
- Notice what is there without putting it into words: the temperature of the room, the pace of your breathing, the fact that your jaw is tight. Observing is sensory and wordless.
- Describe
- Put words to what you noticed, without adding interpretation. "My shoulders are raised and my breathing is shallow" is a description. "I am a disaster" is a story about the description.
- Participate
- Give yourself fully to what you are doing, without standing outside it commenting. In a conversation, that means listening rather than rehearsing your reply.
Most people have a favourite. Some live in observe and never describe; others narrate constantly and never simply participate. The skill is moving between the three on purpose.
What are the three HOW skills?
The HOW skills apply to every WHAT. You can observe non-judgmentally, describe one-mindfully, or participate effectively.
Non-judgmentally
Describe what happened without rating it as good or bad, right or wrong. Judgments are not forbidden — they are information — but you notice them and let them pass rather than treating them as facts.
The hard part is the second layer: noticing “I am judging again” and then judging yourself for judging. Notice both and return to the description.
One-mindfully
Do one thing at a time. When your attention leaves the task, bring it back. The returning is the practice, not a sign that you are doing it wrong.
Effectively
Do what works for the goal you actually have in this situation, rather than what would be fair, deserved or consistent with how you feel. If the aim is to keep a job, “effective” might mean asking a clarifying question instead of proving you were right.
Effectively is not the same as being passive or manipulative. It is a question: what response moves me towards the outcome I want, given the world as it is?
How do you practise it in five minutes?
Pick something you already do every day — washing up, walking to the bus, drinking a coffee.
- Observe the physical sensations for thirty seconds: water temperature, the weight of the cup, the sound of the tap.
- Describe silently what you noticed, in plain words, without evaluating.
- Participate in the activity: let the washing up be the only thing happening.
- Choose one HOW skill for the five minutes. If it was non-judgmentally, notice judgments and let them go. If one-mindfully, return your attention each time it drifts.
- At the end, note what changed — including if nothing did.
An example: walking into a difficult meeting
You have been called in to discuss a mistake. On the way, your mind is running a tribunal.
- Observe: tight chest, fast breathing, the urge to rehearse a defence.
- Describe: “I am bracing. I expect to be blamed.”
- Participate: walk through the door and listen to the first sentence actually said.
- Non-judgmentally: notice “this is unfair” as a thought rather than a verdict.
- Effectively: the goal is to leave knowing what is expected next, not to win the meeting.
Common mistakes
- Treating mindfulness as relaxation. The aim is clear attention, not calm.
- Dissociating instead of observing. Watching yourself from a distance is a defence, not the skill; the aim is contact with the present.
- Thinking non-judgmental means having no values. You can judge an action as harmful. The skill is noticing the judgment without letting it run the response.
- Practising only when things are calm. The skills are hardest and most useful in the middle of something.
How this fits with the rest of DBT
Wise Mind is what these skills build towards: the overlap of reasonable mind and emotion mind. Check the Facts starts with observe and describe. STOP uses observe to interrupt an urge. Almost every other skill assumes you can notice what you are doing before you try to change it.
Frequently asked questions
Is DBT mindfulness the same as meditation?
No. It is a set of attention skills drawn from contemplative practice, taught without requiring any meditation or religious framework. Formal meditation is one way to build them, not a requirement.
How long should I practise?
Start with one to three minutes a day. Frequency matters more than duration, and using the skills during real activities counts as practice.
What if I cannot stop judging?
Noticing the judgment is the skill. The goal is not a blank mind; it is catching the judgment and returning to a description. That return, repeated, is what changes over time.