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Psychoeducation~10 min

IMPROVE the moment

Use IMPROVE to plan small sources of support during a painful moment. Explore imagery, meaning, prayer, relaxation, attention, a brief break and encouragement.

Written by Tarun Vermani, Trainee Clinical Psychologist Last reviewed

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When a difficulty cannot be resolved immediately, you can still consider what might help you endure the next part of it. Read the IMPROVE options, choose what fits and make a brief plan. You do not need to use every option or find a positive side to what happened. Return to practical help or problem-solving when you can. If you feel unable to stay safe or have thoughts of harming yourself, seek help now from your therapist or GP. In an emergency, call 999. Samaritans offers free emotional support on 116 123. A worksheet cannot provide crisis care or replace professional support. IMPROVE the moment is a distress tolerance skill from Marsha M. Linehan’s dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) skills training. Reference: Linehan, M. M. (2015). DBT Skills Training Manual (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.

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What IMPROVE offers

IMPROVE is a reminder of seven ways to support yourself while a painful situation continues. You might change what you attend to, ease some tension or draw on a source of comfort. The aim is to help you stay with the moment safely.

IMPROVE the moment is a distress tolerance skill from Marsha M. Linehan’s dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) skills training. Reference: Linehan, M. M. (2015). DBT Skills Training Manual (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.

Choosing a time to practise

Try an option when you need to cope with waiting, uncertainty or a difficulty you cannot immediately change. You can combine options or leave out any that do not fit. These practices do not ask you to accept harm or delay urgent help.

Explore the IMPROVE options

Read each possibility and mark any you would like to test. Adapt examples to your circumstances, beliefs and physical needs.

IMPROVE options I would like to explore

Write a small IMPROVE plan

Choose one or two options and name where, when and how you could use them. Include what you need to have nearby. A plan can be changed if it does not help.

Review how bearable it felt

If you wish, rate whether the moment felt easier to bear after trying the plan. No improvement is a reason to review the plan or seek support, rather than blame yourself.

No improvementSome improvementMuch easier to bear
Choose a value

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When to use ‘IMPROVE the moment’

‘IMPROVE the moment’ is an interactive dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) worksheet. Consider this resource when exploring how a client responds to intense emotions, distress or relationship difficulties, and where acceptance or a change in response might fit.

It is designed to be used within therapy rather than as a standalone self-help tool: a therapist introduces it, works through it collaboratively, and helps make sense of what it surfaces. You can preview the full worksheet above, then assign it digitally for clients to complete between sessions on any device or download it as a print-ready PDF.

How it works

Most people work through it in around 10 minutes. It moves through five short steps:

  1. What IMPROVE offers: IMPROVE is a reminder of seven ways to support yourself while a painful situation continues. You might change what you attend to, ease some…
  2. Choosing a time to practise: Try an option when you need to cope with waiting, uncertainty or a difficulty you cannot immediately change. You can combine options or…
  3. Explore the IMPROVE options: Read each possibility and mark any you would like to test. Adapt examples to your circumstances, beliefs and physical needs.
  4. Write a small IMPROVE plan: Choose one or two options and name where, when and how you could use them. Include what you need to have nearby. A plan can be changed if…
  5. Review how bearable it felt: If you wish, rate whether the moment felt easier to bear after trying the plan. No improvement is a reason to review the plan or seek…

Completed on the Formulate platform, your client's answers are saved automatically and shared straight back to you, so you can review them before the next session rather than waiting for a paper copy to come back.

The DBT approach behind it

‘IMPROVE the moment’ draws on dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT). DBT brings acceptance and change together: recognising an experience as it is while considering a different response. Its skills include mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation and interpersonal effectiveness. These offer ways to notice what is happening, stay with difficult moments, understand emotions and communicate needs. The therapist and client can consider which skills fit the situation.

It is intended as one part of a wider course of therapy rather than as advice or a diagnosis. The therapist can help decide how it fits the work and discuss what emerges.

Evidence & sources

This worksheet draws on dialectical behaviour therapy. Key sources include:

  • Linehan, M.M. (2015). DBT Skills Training Manual (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.
  • Linehan, M.M. (1993). Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder. New York: Guilford Press.

For use alongside professional support

Formulate provides educational CBT resources for use with a qualified therapist. They are not a substitute for professional assessment, diagnosis, or crisis care.

If you need urgent help now:

  • Emergency services: 999 — if you or someone else is in immediate danger
  • Samaritans: 116 123 — free, day or night, 365 days a year
  • SANEline: 0800 689 5555 — 4:30pm–10:30pm, every day

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