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cognitive
Cognitive Defusion
Learning to observe thoughts without being fused with them, reducing their power.
Source: Described in 'Rewire Your Anxious Brain' by Catherine M. Pittman and Elizabeth M. Karle (crediting Steven Hayes and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy/ACT) and 'Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before' by Julie Smith. Core technique from ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy).
5-10 minutes
beginner
anxietydepressionruminationstress
How to practice
- 1Notice a difficult thought
- 2Say to yourself: 'I'm having the thought that...'
- 3Or: 'My mind is telling me...'
- 4Create distance between you and the thought
- 5See thoughts as mental events, not facts
Based on literature
Rewire Your Anxious Brain
Catherine M. Pittman, Elizabeth M. Karle • 2015
How to use the neuroscience of fear to end anxiety, panic, and worry.
Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before
Julie Smith • 2022
Practical tools for managing your mental health.