ACT
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. A third-wave therapy developed by Steven Hayes. Rather than trying to change or reduce difficult thoughts, ACT teaches you to observe them without identifying with them, to accept them, and to act in accordance with your values despite their presence. The paradox of control is central: trying to control your thoughts and emotions generally makes the problem worse.
Use this term in practice
Use this term as a lens on one concrete situation. A definition becomes useful when it helps you separate what is happening, the story you add and the action you choose next. To apply “ACT”, choose one specific moment in your day and describe it in plain words. Notice what happens in the body, attention and urge to act, then compare it with the related ideas MBCT, Mindfulness. This precision keeps every difficult moment from becoming stress, distraction or a lack of willpower. For one week, note the trigger, the automatic response and the smallest pause that restores a choice. The goal is not to fix yourself immediately, but to replace a vague label with an observation clear enough to guide the next action. Keep the observation light so it does not become another form of self-monitoring. If it points to persistent distress or a clinical question, seek qualified support instead of drawing a conclusion from one definition.
Related terms
Articles on this topic
The space between stimulus and response
Between every stimulus and your response, there is a space. Most of us never notice it.
How to reduce screen time without blocking your whole phone
A practical way to reduce automatic checking, keep useful phone access, and measure a real change with a seven-day experiment.
The body as an anchor
The mind can travel to the past or the future in an instant. But the body only ever exists now.
The power of small pauses
Two minutes seems too short to matter. It isn't.
The beinstant app is coming.
Two minutes a day to come back to the present moment. iOS beta coming soon.