Observe and Describe

Describing is using words to represent what you observe. Observing is just noticing and attending; there are no words. Describing is a reaction to observing; it is labeling what is observed. Such acknowledgement is an expressed recognition of your experience.

For example, say in your mind, “Sadness has just enveloped me”…or…”stomach muscles tightening”… or … “A thought ‘I can’t do this’ has come into my mind” … or … “walking, step, step, step…”

Put experiences into words (put a finger on that free floating feeling). Describe to yourself what is happening. Put a name on your feelings. Call a thought just a thought, a feeling just a feeling. Don’t get caught in content.

Self-awareness is the ability to name an emotion like sadness as sadness from a slightly detached viewpoint. In an examination situation, the physical sensation – stomach muscles tightening – may be confused with the perception of the environment – an exam is starting – to produce a dysfunctional thought – I am going to fail the exam. Thoughts are often confused with facts. If ‘I can’t do this’ comes into your mind, this does not necessarily mean that in fact you can’t do whatever. You may be able to do this or that despite thoughts to the contrary. Self-effectiveness depends upon your ability to test the reality of your thoughts. Describing a thought as just a thought requires you to notice that it is a thought instead of a fact. 

Describing is using words to represent what you observe. Describing is “just the facts.” Judging is labeling something in an evaluative way. The ability to apply names to behavioral and environmental events is essential for both communication and self-control. Learning to describe requires that you learn not to take your emotions and thoughts literally – that is, as a literal reflection of environmental events. Feeling afraid does not necessarily mean that a situation is threatening to your life or welfare. 

Thoughts are often taken literally; thoughts are confused with facts. I feel unloved is confused with I am unloved. One of the principle aims of cognitive therapy is to test the association of thoughts with their corresponding environmental events. Practice observing and describing by doing this exercise: imagine that your mind is a conveyor belt, and that thoughts and/or feelings are coming down the belt. Your job is to sort what comes down the belt into named categories. For example, you could have a box for thoughts (of any sort), one box for sensation in your body, and one box for urges to do something. Thus, you are applying words, representations, to thoughts, sensations, and urges.

I recommend using the describe skill for DBT skills homework too. The idea is to use words to describe in what situation one used a skill. Express with words the relationship between the situation, the skill, and the result. Words focus thoughts. Describing events and personal responses in words develops the ability
to label environmental events and behaviors. 

The ability to describe what you feel and do when you are nervous, anxious, upset, impatient, fearful, excited, or tired helps you observe more clearly the connections between yourself and your environment.
Using observe and describe together can help you stay in the present moment and focus on doing what you can now to make your situation better.