Maintaining physical health can have a lasting impact on an individual’s mental health. Practicing self-care includes eating healthy foods, establishing good sleeping habits, and exercising regularly. These activities are used in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) as part of the acronym PLEASE, which stands for "treat Physical ilLness, balanced Eating, avoid mood-Altering substances, balanced Sleep, and get Exercise.”
The DBT PLEASE Skills Worksheet includes questions like “Am I eating healthy?” or “Am I getting good sleep?” which are answerable by yes or no. The worksheet also asks clients to elaborate on their answers to make sure they’re meeting their physical needs.
Using this worksheet helps kids and teens prioritize what their bodies need, which enables them to regulate their emotions and solve problems better. Since children often learn best by observing, one effective tip is for parents to model any of the DBT PLEASE skills in their behaviors. Make sure to explain to your child how a PLEASE skill has helped you.
Our DBT PLEASE handout is a helpful take-home resource that provides additional information on this skill.
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References:
- Husain, A., & Anas, M. (2016). Role of lifestyle behaviours in maintaining physical and mental health.
- Kim, E. S., Kubzansky, L. D., Soo, J., & Boehm, J. K. (2017). Maintaining healthy behavior: A prospective study of psychological well-being and physical activity. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 51(3), 337-347.
