Get Untangled from Pain

Goal

To get untangled from pain.

One of the main ideas behind ACT is that people suffer and that many of the strategies we use to solve problems ultimately make things worse and create more suffering. Just because you are experiencing psychological/emotional pain doesn’t mean you have to suffer. You can choose to accept your pain and live a meaningful life or you can allow suffering to take over and rule your mind and life. ACT can be broken down into three areas:

Mindfulness
Observing your experience-being fully present in the moment without judging it or holding onto it.

Acceptance
Choosing to view your pain from a different, more helpful perspective.

Values
Committing to a life that you value.

Mindfulness Exercise (Adapted from Hanh, 1992)

Instructions: Mindfulness is a practice. It is like learning to dribble a basketball or knit. The first few times it is challenging, but with practice it gets easier. Practice incorporating mindfulness into your day-to-day life using some of these strategies:

Practice mindful eating: Pay attention to all the sensations that are associated with eating, such as smell, sight, touch, taste, and sound. Be mindful with every bite you take. You can even be mindful of the sensations associated with swallowing your food.

Practice mindfulness while driving: Be mindful of the sights around you, the radio playing, the noise your car makes as you accelerate or decelerate, the way the air conditioner or heater feels against your skin, or any other sensation associated with driving.

Mindfully wash the dishes: Be mindful of what each dish feels like in your hands, the temperature of the water against your skin, or the smell of the soap.

You can also practice mindfulness when taking a shower, exercising, cooking, listening to music, drinking a cup of coffee, or waiting in line at the store. Mindfulness helps get you out of your thoughts by paying attention to what is happening in and around you. This loosens up unhelpful thinking so you don’t get stuck thinking about the same things over and over again.