One of the key features of Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) is to help folks work on their “psychological flexibility”. Many of us may be strong “fighters”, but being psychologically flexible, we may not.
Psychological flexibility consists of 6 core skills.
1. Being present rather than excessive past and future focused.
2. Being defused rather than excessive fusion/attachment with our thoughts and feelings, AND the thoughts and feelings of others.
3. Acceptance especially with things we cannot change.
4. Self as context rather than self as content. Identify self as the Author of one’s story rather than the main character in the book.
5. Know one’s values and knowing who we are.
6. Take value driven actions and stay true to who we are.
Rate each core skills out of 10 perhaps. Many of our patients may score low in all domains. Some of us here may also as well. It’s part of the human experience. Once we have awareness, that’s the first step to change.
Out of the 6, “self as context” may be the most fundamental in my opinion.
If one can self identified as the Author of one’s story rather than the main character in the book, the rest will come much more easily.
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