This is a free recording of the Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) mental body scan exercise. The goal of the body scan is to help you get in touch with your physical body, and reduce stress and anxiety. Often, physical symptoms of stress, anxiety, tension, and unease show up in the body and we don't notice them.
Maybe you get home from work in the evening with a headache, but didn't realize your neck and shoulders were tense all day. That pain from tension can be avoided when we notice early that our muscles are tight and do something to relax them.
People who are not in touch with their bodies may also miss signs of emotional upset. These physical symptoms such as a clenched jaw, stomach discomfort, and short breath, can be easy to miss when you are busy or used to thinking more than feeling.
The mental body scan can be done at any time of the day when you have a few minutes to sit still in a quiet place. Do not do this while driving.
