Make a painful moment more manageable without pretending the problem is solved.
IMPROVE is a DBT distress-tolerance skill: Imagery, Meaning, Prayer or personal reflection, Relaxation, One thing in the moment, Vacation and Encouragement.
Build a personal IMPROVE plan
- Imagery: Picture a safer place or successful coping.
- Meaning: Identify what matters without forcing a positive interpretation.
- Prayer or reflection: Use a personally appropriate spiritual or secular practice.
- Relaxation: Release tension through safe breathing or muscle relaxation.
- One thing: Narrow attention to the present task.
- Vacation: Take a brief, bounded break.
- Encouragement: Use realistic, compassionate self-talk.
Example
During a difficult hospital wait, a person cannot change the immediate situation. They focus on slow breathing, listen to one calming audio track, remind themselves that they can ask questions when the clinician returns and take a brief walk in the waiting area.
Limits
Meaning-making should not minimise trauma, injustice or loss. Prayer should never be imposed. Brief breaks should not replace urgent action, medical care or necessary communication.
Related resources
Evidence and source
This worksheet practises a skill described in Marsha M. Linehan’s DBT Skills Training Manual, Revised Edition (2025). The CounselorAid worksheet has not been independently validated as a treatment or outcome measure.
Evidence and editorial note
Resource type: Educational overview of a DBT skill or skills module. It supports learning and practice but is not comprehensive Dialectical Behavior Therapy.
Evidence basis: Marsha M. Linehan’s DBT Skills Training Manual, Revised Edition (2025), official Behavioral Tech training information, current NICE guidance and peer-reviewed evidence reviews where treatment claims are discussed.
Review status: Written and evidence-checked by the CounselorAid editorial team. Last evidence review: 3 August 2026. No named independent clinical reviewer is being claimed. Please report factual or safety concerns through the contact page.
Important: This information cannot diagnose a condition, assess personal risk or replace care from an appropriately qualified professional. In an immediate crisis or medical emergency, use local emergency or crisis services.