States of Mind: Wise Mind — A diagram explaining Emotion Mind, Reasonable Mind, and the balanced Wise Mind in DBT.

This worksheet is asking you to reflect on your own experiences with the three states of mind from DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy). Since these are personal reflection questions, there's no single "correct" answer - but I'll help you understand what each question is asking for and provide example answers to guide you.

Let me work through what each section needs:

Question 1: Give an example of a time you were in emotion mind
- This asks for a time when your feelings completely took over
- You acted without thinking about facts or logic
- You were reactive and impulsive

Question 2: Give an example of a time you were in reasonable mind
- This asks for a time when you were all logic and facts
- You didn't consider your feelings or values
- You were very pragmatic/rational

Question 3: How would your thoughts and actions be different if you were in wise mind?
- This asks how you could have balanced both emotions AND logic
- You would acknowledge your feelings BUT also think rationally
- You'd use wisdom and intuition while being practical

Here are sample answers to help you write your own:

Final Answer:

Example for Question 1 (Emotion Mind):
"I was really angry when my friend canceled our plans last minute. I immediately sent them a mean text message saying they never care about me and that I hated them. I didn't stop to think that maybe they had a real emergency or good reason."

Example for Question 2 (Reasonable Mind):
"When I had to choose which college to attend, I made a spreadsheet with only facts - tuition costs, distance from home, graduation rates. I ignored that one school felt right to me and another made me excited. I chose based only on numbers, even though something felt off about my choice."

Example for Question 3 (Wise Mind):
"If I were in wise mind when my friend canceled, I would have noticed I felt hurt and disappointed (acknowledging my emotions), but also considered that they might have had a legitimate reason (using logic). Instead of sending an angry text, I could have waited a bit, then asked calmly if everything was okay. This way I honor my feelings while responding thoughtfully rather than reactively."

*Now try writing your own examples based on situations from your life!*