Mindfulness Resource

Mindfulness Skills:
What & How

Mindfulness is a skill — and like any skill, it gets easier with practice. This guide walks you through the six core mindfulness skills drawn from DBT: three that describe what you do, and three that describe how you do it.

Overall, mindfulness is a simple concept. Putting it into practice, not so much. It can be a powerful and useful skill, but the not so great news is that you probably won't get much from it if you attempt it once or twice. Like any skill, it takes repetition, consistency and a whole lot of patience to get the hang of. There are many ways to practice, here are a few to get you started. If you want to chat about it more, let us know! Always happy to help :-)
What
The three things you do when practising mindfulness
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Observe
  • Notice what's happening — in your body, your thoughts, and the world around you — without immediately reacting, observe and experience the moment
  • Take a step back from rumination, preoccupation, or the urge to fix things right away
  • Allow unpleasant feelings to be present without judging them as good or bad, drop the labels and let them come and go like waves
  • Know that simply watching your thoughts and emotions reduces their intensity over time
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Describe
  • Put words to what you're observing — without adding interpretation or judgement
  • Notice the difference between the experience itself and the story you tell about it
  • Increase awareness of yourself and your experiences by staying present and describing the here and now
  • Thoughts and emotions are real — but they are not facts, and they are not you
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Participate
  • Throw yourself fully into what you're doing — be in the activity, experience it fully instead of just going through the motions
  • Allow yourself to be fully present in the moment as it is at the time
  • Bring awareness to the fact that you are here, alive, in this moment right now
  • Do what the moment calls for — use your skills if needed and respond with more choice and less reactivity
and
How
The three qualities you bring to your mindfulness practice
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One-Mindfully
  • Do one thing at a time, and give it your full attention — if you are trying to do several things at once you almost always miss something!
  • When your mind wanders (and it will), gently notice it, and bring yourself back — without self-criticism
  • Put down the phone, close the other tabs, and let this moment be enough
  • One-mindfulness is a practice, not a performance — every return to the present counts
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Non-judgementally
  • Let go of labelling experiences as "good" or "bad" — simply notice them as they are, a thought is a thought
  • Judgements create shame and suffering — observing without judgement creates space and clarity
  • Name your emotions to better understand them: "I notice I'm feeling anxious" rather than "I am anxious"
  • This isn't about pretending things are fine. It's about seeing clearly, without self-attack and knowing it will pass by
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Effectively
  • Focus on what actually works, rather than what feels fair or right in principle
  • Let go of needing to "win" the argument with yourself or others — ask what helps here?
  • When you know what will help do it. Take the first step, then the next and follow through.
  • Radical acceptance — accepting reality without necessarily approving of it — is central to this skill

Try It Now

Pick a Practice

Use the randomiser below to try a mindfulness micro-practice right now. Each one takes 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Filter by category, or let it surprise you.

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Ready for a mindful moment?

Pick a category above or let us surprise you. Each practice takes 30 seconds to 2 minutes.

Category Practice 1 of 17

Practice Title

1 minute

Instruction goes here.

1:00
🌱 Nice work. That's one mindful moment in the bag.

Getting Started

Tips for Building Your Practice

You don't need to be calm to practise mindfulness. You just need to begin.

1

Start small

Even two minutes of mindful breathing counts. Practising consistently for a few minutes every day will be more effective and practical than aiming for long practice sessions that never come.

2

Use everyday moments

Washing the dishes, walking to the car, making a coffee — any activity can become a mindfulness practice when you bring full attention to it.

3

Expect a wandering mind

Your mind will drift - that's not a failure, it's what the mind does. As you continue practising mindfulness, noticing the wandering mind and bringing yourself back to the present will get easier.

4

Be kind to yourself

Mindfulness and self-compassion go hand in hand. If you miss a day or find it hard, that's okay. Start again. You're learning a skill, not passing a test.

5

Notice the effects over time

The benefits build gradually. You might find you react less, feel more grounded, or recover from difficult emotions a little faster.

6

Get support if you need it

Mindfulness is often most effective when guided by a psychologist — especially if you're working through trauma, anxiety, or OCD. We're here to help.