Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with simple tips to handle your thoughts

Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can transform the way you relate to your thoughts and feelings, helping you live a life that truly matters to you.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by anxious, self-critical, or repetitive thoughts, ACT offers practical, evidence-based skills to create a gentler, more positive relationship with your mind.

I can hear you ask- “What exactly is ACT and how does it work?”

In a nutshell, ACT is all about making room for difficult thoughts and feelings without letting them control you.

It doesn’t promise to make uncomfortable emotions disappear but it does teach you to focus on your behaviours and the values that matter most to you.

Think of your mind like the weather: some days are sunny, and some are stormy.

ACT encourages you to carry an umbrella but still walk outside and move toward your goals.

Why using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy works

ACT is evidence-based and widely used across NHS services for conditions like anxiety, depression, stress, and chronic pain. Research shows it helps people function better day-to-day by shifting the way we relate to our thoughts rather than trying to eliminate them.

5 practical ACT skills to try today

Here are five simple, friendly techniques from ACT to help you unhook from sticky thoughts:

1. Notice and name your thoughts

Instead of feeling consumed by “I’ll mess up” or “I’m not good enough,” try saying, “I am having the thought that I’ll mess up.”

This tiny pause creates distance between you and the thought. It’s not fact, it’s just your mind talking.

2. Name the story

Many thoughts follow familiar patterns, like the imposter story or catastrophising. Catch yourself and say, “Here I go telling myself the imposter story.” Then gently return your thoughts to what truly matters.

3. Use visualisation to bring your thoughts back to the task at hand

Picture a peaceful stream in a forest.

When a thought pops up, place it on a leaf and watch it float away.

If it comes back, no worries, place it back on a leaf and let it drift again. This helps you practice observing thoughts instead of fighting them.

4. Draw your thoughts

Are you more of a visual person than a thinker?

Then grab a pen and paper and sketch your thoughts.

Are they big and overwhelming? Tiny and fleeting?

Then redraw them the way you’d like them to feel, smaller, lighter, or even playful. This creative approach shifts your perspective.

5. Use your whole body to anchor yourself

When a thought grabs your attention, ground yourself with an anchor.

Feel your feet on the floor, focus on your breathing, or take a small action like writing a note or going for a walk.

3This redirects attention from the thought to something meaningful.

What should you do next?

Pick one unhooking skill and use it for a single day this week.

Notice how your mind feels, whether you can take small actions aligned with your values, and how your day changes.

Sharing this gentle practice with a friend or loved one can make it even more supportive.

Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy doesn’t have to be complicated, it’s about small, consistent steps that help you notice your thoughts, focus on what matters, and live more fully. With practice, you can handle your mind with curiosity, creativity, and compassion.

My mission is to make therapy accessible to everyone, always! These blogs and my podcast episodes of “Don’t Get a Therapist…Yet!” are there to give you tips, guidance, coping strategies, information and chats with experts about a range of mental health issues and mindfulness.