Thoughts are Behaviour

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Thoughts are behaviour. Our mind generates thoughts all the time. Have you ever been listening to a song, intently to the lyrics singing them in your head, and trying to read a sentence at the same time? Do you find that difficult to say two sets of words in your brain simultaneously? Well that's because there is the you (your mind) that generates these thoughts and there is also the you (you as you) that notices these thoughts.

Sometimes it can seem like these are the same, right? That's where it gets tricky, where you think the you who generates thoughts (your mind) is the same as the you who notices them. You are not your thoughts. Your thoughts are your mind's behaviour, generating pictures and stories and words. The idea that you are not your thoughts means that you have the ability to choose whether or not to interact with them; you have the ability to choose which thoughts you want to act upon.

This is where Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) exercises and techniques come into play. I have learned a great deal about myself in guiding others through these techniques as well as implementing them into my own life. These techniques are based on the six processes of psychological flexibility:

• Acceptance

• Present moment awareness

• Values

• Self-as-content

• Defusion

• Committed action

For a comprehensive list of activities and a plethora of additional information on ACT, see Steven Hayes' website for My ACT Tool Kit https://stevenchayes.com/my-act-toolkit/ . There is also a ton of research here about ACT and psychological flexibility.

Here at Engie Martin Health & Wellness, we utilize methods based on these resources and tools, rooted in ACT. The basic premise of ACT is to learn and practice skills to promote being present, opening up, and doing what matters. In addition to research supporting the efficacy of ACT, we believe that looking inward into yourself and doing the work to live your own valued life is the first step in extending that acceptance and compassion outwards, to others and to the world.