DBT: A Dialectical New Year

How was 2012 for you? If you answered "it was a terrible year/the worst year of my life," or "it was the best year," either primarily negative or positive events came to the forefront of your mind when I asked.  We all know that, realistically, no year is "all good" or "all bad."

Even in a year filled with sorrow, there were moments of joy and happiness, and even in a year filled with happiness and success, there were moments of disappointment and sadness.

In DBT, we are urged to notice black or white thinking (also known as polarized thinking and all-or-nothing thinking).  On this first day of a new year, it's a good opportunity to reflect on 2012 in a dialectical way. (What is a dialectic?)

For each of us, the past year was filled with experiences of all sorts. Sad moments and happy moments coexisted in the same year. Successes and failures occurred within the same twelve month period.

2013 will be no different.  As we enter into the new year, let's practice noticing how seemingly opposing feelings, thoughts, and desires can co-occur, and how we can slow it down, observe this, and make sense of it all.


Wishing you a very Happy, Skillful New Year!


Thanks for reading.
More soon.