ACT Basics

The self-talk sessions you record in the Within app have their foundation in acceptance commitment therapy (referred to as act), which was developed by renowned psychologist Dr. Steven C. Hayes.

ACT focuses on mindfulness, acceptance of unpleasant emotions and diffusion of challenging thoughts; which means you learn to separate yourself from your thoughts and feelings. That separation gives you room to ground yourself in your core values and make choices based on those values.

Think of this practice similar to stretching your physically body. The more regularly you stretch, the less likely you are to experience injury in daily life and the quicker you recover after physical activity.

One of the primary results of practicing ACT is increasing your psychological flexibility.

Psychological Flexibility

There are 6 techniques that when paired by theme form a Psychological Flexibility triangle. These interchangeable techniques are designed to help you change the relationship you have with your thoughts rather than trying to change the thoughts themselves.

A simple way to remember these techniques is with three phrases:

Open Up

Cognitive defusion: learning to perceive your thoughts, images, emotions and memories as what they are, not what they may appear to be

Acceptance: Allowing thoughts, images, emotions and memories to come and go without struggling with them

Be Present

Contact with the present moment: Awareness of the here and now, experienced with openness, interest and receptiveness

Observing the self: Accessing "self-as-context" — the you that is always there observing and experiencing and yet distinct from one's thoughts, feelings, sensations, and memories

Do What Matters

Values: Discovering what is most important to one's true self

Committed action: Setting goals according to values and carrying them out in meaningful ways