Self-Help Guide Focused on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: Optimal Choice for Personal Development
In the realm of cognitive-behavioural therapies (CBT), a third wave has emerged, offering a new approach to managing thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. This wave, which includes Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), emphasises acceptance, mindfulness, psychological flexibility, and values-based living.
ACT, a form of CBT, encourages individuals to accept unpleasant thoughts and feelings rather than trying to eliminate them. This approach is a departure from traditional CBT, which focuses on changing the content of thoughts and symptoms.
One of the key processes in ACT is cognitive defusion, which involves seeing inner experiences as what they are, without the added inner function they've been given. For instance, if we keep having thoughts about how we're not good enough, we're creating a story for ourselves that we're not good enough, going from fiction to a non-fiction story.
Another important aspect of ACT is committed behaviour. This involves using our values to guide our actions, helping us shape our behaviour towards our change goals. Small steps help us avoid feeling overwhelmed and help avoid procrastination sneaking in.
Being present is another core principle of ACT. It means viewing psychological events and events in the environment they occur in a non-judgmental way. Engaging with the present moment during everyday activities can diminish episodes of anxiety, as demonstrated by research conducted by Twohig and Levin in 2017.
ACT also encourages observing self, the ability to observe thoughts, feelings, and sensations from a detached, objective perspective. This skill can help individuals gain a better understanding of their inner workings and responses.
In ACT, values are chosen qualities that help create life directions for ourselves, while undermining thoughts that can lead to avoidance, social compliance, or fusion. To cultivate a meaningful existence, it's essential to explore what things we find important in all aspects of our lives, what kind of person we want to be, what qualities we admire, and what gives us a sense of purpose and meaning in life.
Moreover, ACT promotes treating ourselves with kindness, acknowledging efforts, and tracking them in a journal. Life will always cause us to have to make adjustments, but remembering to be flexible can help us navigate life's challenges more effectively.
ACT is grounded in empirical science and focuses on values, forgiveness, acceptance, compassion, living in the present, and striving for a transcendent sense of self. It provides a powerful path for navigating life's challenges and cultivating a meaningful existence.
In summary, ACT, a third-wave therapy, offers a unique approach to managing thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. It encourages acceptance of thoughts and feelings, mindfulness, psychological flexibility, and values-based action, providing a powerful tool for navigating life's challenges and cultivating a meaningful existence.
- Act, a third-wave therapy in the realm of cognitive-behavioural therapies (CBT), encourages individuals to embrace acceptance, mindfulness, psychological flexibility, and values-based living, diverging from traditional CBT's focus on changing the content of thoughts and symptoms.
- Committed behaviour, an essential component of ACT, involves using our values to guide our actions, helping us shape our behaviour towards our change goals, thereby diminishing the likelihood of procrastination and feelings of being overwhelmed.
