Intro to ACT
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This document provides an overview of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). It begins by outlining some common misconceptions people have about happiness. It then explains that ACT focuses on psychological flexibility rather than trying to control thoughts and feelings. The core principles of ACT - diffusion, expansion, connection, the observing self, values, and committed action - are meant to increase mindfulness and values-guided action. Techniques like diffusion, expansion, and urge surfing are presented to help cope with difficult thoughts, emotions, and urges in a way that moves one's life in a meaningful direction.
Intro to ACT
- 1. Intro to ACT
- 2. DISCLAIMER By the end of this talk, we will have a clearer understanding of the underlying principles and beliefs behind ACT, and an actionable toolkit to better cope with our thoughts and emotions What this talk is about?
- 3. DISCLAIMER ACT is not an “all-or-nothing”/”take it or leave it” doctrine. Only use that parts of this workshop that make sense to you, and will help you be the person you want to be What this talk is NOT?
- 4. THOUGHTS (AND IMAGES) ACT BASICS Agenda EMOTIONS (AND URGES) PRESENCE VALUES ACTION PART I (TODAY) PART II (TBD)
- 5. ACT BASICS The “Happiness Trap” Common misconceptions: 1.Happiness is the natural state of all human beings 2.If you’re not happy, you’re defective 3.To create a better life we must get rid of negative feelings 4.You should be able to control what you think and feel
- 6. ACT BASICS We are hardwired for survival ● Avoid and anticipate danger ● Motivate belonging to a group ● More = better ⇒We are also hardwired for psychological suffering
- 7. ACT BASICS The cost of control 1.Take a lot of time and energy and is usually ineffective in the long run 2.We feel silly, defective or weak-minded if the thoughts/feelings we’re trying to get rid of keep coming back 3.Many strategies that decrease unpleasant feelings in the short term, actually lower our quality of life over the long term
- 8. ACT BASICS The two “selves” ● The thinking self - thinks, plans, judges, compares, creates, imagines, visualizes, analyzes, remembers, daydreams, and fantasizes ● The observing self - aware but does not think - responsible for focus, awareness, and attention ⇐ focus of most psychological approaches. ⇐ focus of ACT
- 9. ACT BASICS What is ACT? ACT = Acceptance and Commitment Therapy “an empirically-based psychological approach that uses acceptance and mindfulness strategies mixed in different ways with commitment and behavior- change strategies, to increase psychological flexibility.”
- 10. ACT BASICS The “Happiness Trap” Common misconceptions: 1.Happiness is the natural state of all human beings 2.If you’re not happy, you’re defective 3.To create a better life we must get rid of negative feelings 4.You should be able to control what you think and feel
- 11. ACT BASICS 6 basic principles of ACT 1.Diffusion 2.Expansion 3.Connection 4.The observing self 5.Values 6.Committed action Psychological Flexibility = Mindfulness (1-4) + Values (5) + Action (6)
- 12. THOUGHTS (AND IMAGES) ACT BASICS Agenda EMOTIONS (AND URGES) PRESENCE VALUES ACTION PART I (TODAY) PART II (TBD)
- 13. THOUGHTS (AND IMAGES) Fusion Fusion = a thought and the thing it refers to becomes stuck together as one. In fusion, thoughts become: reality, the truth, orders, wise, threats Rather than try to control/avoid thoughts, we try to diffuse them - realize that they are JUST thoughts
- 14. THOUGHTS (AND IMAGES) To diffuse, or not to diffuse? There are helpful thoughts; not all thoughts must be defused ● Does it help me be the person I want to be ? ● Does it help me build the sort of relationships I’d like? ● Does it help me connect with what I truly value? ● Does it help me in the long term create a rich, full and meaningful life?
- 15. THOUGHTS (AND IMAGES) Diffusion techniques: thoughts ● “I’m having a thought that…” ● Musical thoughts ● Thanking your mind ● Silly voices
- 16. THOUGHTS (AND IMAGES) Diffusion techniques: images
- 17. THOUGHTS (AND IMAGES) Television Screen
- 18. THOUGHTS (AND IMAGES) Diffusion techniques: images “D’oh, done it again....”
- 19. THOUGHTS (AND IMAGES) Musical Soundtrack
- 20. THOUGHTS (AND IMAGES) Shifting Locations
- 21. THOUGHTS (AND IMAGES) Shifting Locations
- 22. THOUGHTS (AND IMAGES) Shifting Locations
- 23. THOUGHTS (AND IMAGES) ACT BASICS Agenda EMOTIONS (AND URGES) PRESENCE VALUES ACTION PART I (TODAY) PART II (TBD)
- 24. EMOTIONS (AND URGES) What are emotions? ● Emotions generate in the midbrain. ● They manifest alongside physical changes throughout the body ● These physical changes prepare us to take action
- 25. EMOTIONS (AND URGES) How are emotions created? 1.A significant event 2.Getting ready for action 3.The mind gets involved Our fight-or-flight trigger is overly sensitive
- 26. EMOTIONS (AND URGES) The Struggle Switch ● Clean discomfort - Negative emotions generate a natural level of physical and emotional discomfort, depending on who we are the situation we’re in. ● Dirty discomfort - Struggling with these emotions, trying to change them or make them go away amplifies the discomfort
- 27. EMOTIONS (AND URGES) We’re programmed from childhood to keep the switch ON “Anger, guilt, shame, anxiety, etc. are “negative” emotions” “Negative emotions are bad, dangerous, irrational and a sign of weakness” “Negative emotions damage our health” “People should hide their feelings, expressing emotions is a sign of weakness” “Strong emotions mean you’re out of control” “Women shouldn’t feel angry, men shouldn’t feel afraid” “Negative emotions mean that there’s something wrong with your life”
- 28. EMOTIONS (AND URGES) No judging We tend to judge some emotions as “bad” or “negative” and some emotions as “good” or “positive” ACT encourages us to let go of judging our feeling altogether and see them for what they are: a stream of constantly changing sensations and urges, continuously passing through our bodies
- 29. EMOTIONS (AND URGES) Willing != wanting Wanting something means you actually like it. Willingness simply means that you’re allowing it. Accepting discomfort has only one purpose: to help you take your life forward in a meaningful direction.
- 30. EMOTIONS (AND URGES) Why “expansion”? “Tension”, “stress”, “strain” are commonly used to describe feeling bad. They imply that our feelings are too big - they are pulling us apart and stretching out beyond our limits. Expansion means making room for our feelings. If we give negative feelings enough space, they no longer stretch or strain us.
- 31. EMOTIONS (AND URGES) 4 steps of expansion 1.Observe 2.Breathe 3.Create space 4.Allow
- 32. EMOTIONS (AND URGES) Urges Urge = impulse to take action We don’t want to struggle with the urge b/c then it’s hard to focus on effective action. So rather than try to resist, control or suppress it, we aim to make room for it.
- 33. EMOTIONS (AND URGES) Urge surfing 1.Observe it 2.Acknowledge 3.Breath into it and make room for it 4.Watch the urge as it rises, crests and falls again 5.Check in with your values
- 34. DISCLAIMER ACT is not an “all-or-nothing”/”take it or leave it” doctrine. Only use that parts of this workshop that make sense to you, and will help you be the person you want to be What this talk is NOT?
- 35. THOUGHTS (AND IMAGES) ACT BASICS Agenda EMOTIONS (AND URGES) PRESENCE VALUES ACTION PART I (TODAY) PART II (TBD)
- 36. Thank you!