Sometimes just the single next step is the most important direction for our focus.

The top of this handout from DBT Holistic Skills Workbook for Teens asks, “Where am I now & what is my next step?”

This Emotional Ladder (Handout page 53) helps us to remember that it’s sometimes unrealistic to jump from sadness to happiness “just because” we may want to (or be told to).

Hanging this worksheet on the wall reminds us also to check in with where we are emotionally, rather than sweeping it under the carpet and suppressing it. From there, it allows us some glimpse of where our next step might be.