21 Mindfulness Exercises & Activities for Adults

In one study, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy-Mindfulness (DBTM) training was added to general psychiatric treatment to test its effectiveness. A module on mindfulness was developed to help clients achieve the “wise mind,” and focused on two sets of skills—the “what” skills and the “how” skills (Soler et al., 2012). Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (or DBT) is a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy that is mainly used to treat individuals with borderline personality disorders. There is also evidence that group mindfulness meditation therapy is as effective as individual CBT (Sundquist et al., 2015). In a global climate with few clinical psychologists in relation to the need for them, and in a time when individual therapy time is limited and expensive, the proven efficacy of group-based therapy is great news. Before jumping into the “doing” part of cognitive restructuring, it’s important for clients to understand what cognitive distortions are, and how powerful they are in influencing one’s mood.

• Use this handout to teach clients the cognitive behavior model at the heart of CBT.
• If you are interested in trying other mindfulness exercises to address anxiety, you can check out our extensive range of mindfulness articles.

Basics of CBT: Essentials I

Each of these therapies leverages the powerful link between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to treat mental illness. Cognitive restructuring can help with a wide variety of symptoms and diagnoses, including anxiety and depression (Santos et al., 2024; Stevenson et al., 2019). These problems are often driven by unconscious beliefs that hold us back or cause us harm, and cognitive restructuring helps us identify and replace those dysfunctional Cognitive Behavioral Therapy beliefs. A cognitive restructuring exercise can be found in our Positive Psychology Toolkit©.

Trauma Therapy: Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) or Prolonged Exposure

• The therapist can stop the action to question what the client was thinking or feeling or suggest alternative approaches for handling what is happening.
• The result of this process is a very strong association between the substance and the “reward” (the feeling an individual gets when using the substance).
• Through regular practice, individuals develop non-judgmental awareness of their thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations.
• Once clients learn how CBT works, they typically find that it can easily be applied to their own lives.

Mindfulness can be useful across a variety of populations and contexts, including children, workplace settings, and counseling. It is a relatively easy practice with significant results on the brain that can enhance the quality of life, self-confidence, and peace of mind of those using it. If you are interested in learning more about mindfulness techniques for treating depression, you can look into Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy. DBT clearly has something to teach us all in its application of a wide range of mindfulness techniques and exercises.

Assertive Message Role-Play

Modifications might be necessary in certain conditions to ensure client safety and well-being. Mindfulness is about staying present in the present moment without judgment. In therapy, your therapist might guide you through specific mindfulness exercises to help you become more aware of your thoughts and feelings without getting overwhelmed by them. While they can be effective on their own, working with a therapist can provide additional guidance and support, especially as you tackle more challenging issues.

• For practical ways to challenge and dispute negative automatic thinking, one can try using one of these CBT worksheets.
• When we improve a resource, we make it clear, so you can decide which version to use.
• Based on the work of pioneers like Aaron Beck and Albert Ellis, CBT is built on the fundamental principle that our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are all linked.
• They are beliefs and thought patterns that are irrational, false, or inaccurate, and they have the potential to cause serious damage to our sense of self, our confidence, and our ability to succeed.
• Over 40 research groups conduct basic neuroscience research and clinical investigations of mental illnesses, brain function, and behavior at the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland.