"What keeps us stuck?" Emotion Mind and Homework

In DBT, clients and skills trainers have homework assignments from week to week.  "Repetition is the mother of understanding."  The intentional practice prompts the client to develop and hone her skills.  The interpersonal effectiveness skills really require practice with others because they involve interactions with others, so it can be difficult to practice by yourself; DEAR MAN, GIVE, and FAST are the main interpersonal effectiveness skills.

In skills groups, there is a designated time for a review of the homework.  This is usually after the mindfulness activity and before the skill lesson. 
Sometimes the homework isn't completed when the clients arrive for group, so there might be clients writing quickly as the other clients talk about their homework.  If skills trainer asks about the unfinished homework, she may ask the client to complete the work and bring it next week and/or to write a chain analysis about what kept her from completing her homework.  

The chain analysis may elucidate the emotional factors and cognitive factors that influenced the outcome.  Sometimes emotional responses hinder the likelihood of completing tasks. It's a difficult process to figure out "what happened when."  

Chain analyses are not punishments and should not be punitive.  They are tools for helping the client identify the behavior(s), what led up to it (emotional vulnerabilities), the prompting event, and what happened as a result of the behavior(s).  It can be dysregulating and difficult to write the chain analysis alone, so it may be helpful to work through a chain analysis with the individual therapist.  She or he can help the client self-soothe and regulate her emotions when filling out the chain.

Looking at factors that keep us from working effectively, procrastination is an application of Emotion Mind.  Fear and anxiety can create a hostile environment for effective task completion.  Randy Pausch described procrastination as one of the hindrances to completing tasks in his lecture, "Time Management;" click here to watch the YouTube video of "Time Management." 

"If you are procrastinating, you've got to find some way to get back into your comfort zone.  Identify why you are not enthusiastic. Whenever I procrastinate on something, there's always a deep psychological reason. Usually it's, I'm afraid of being embarrassed because I don't think I'll do it well, or I'm afraid I'm going to fail at it."

Let's look at homework experiences to see the effects of the anxiety and fear that can come with being in Emotion Mind. 

I don’t want to be avoidant today.

I want to look at the theories book,

pick up it up and say,

I am not going to live in fear.

I will read this

one section at a time.

I can do this.

I may need help

along the way.

You will not define me.

I will not label myself as a

bad, ignorant, or avoidant

student.

I can do this.

In looking at the poem, there is a consistent cheerleading statement: I can do this.  It also has components of goal setting: reading the book one section at a time.  There are also elements of Wise Mind and non-judgmental stance in not wanting to add labels that could increase avoidance, diminish motivation to finish the work, increase the likelihood of living in fear, and keep us from reaching our potential.