We've all been there.
I’m certain that you can relate to the feeling of a person, place, animal, memory, situation or a rainbow of other causes escalating your mood. You can feel yourself starting to feel uncomfortable… And for whatever the reason, the feeling is rising. Eeek. 🔥
The framework behind Inspired Spark is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and it has some pretty simple tools for processing life generally, notably the sticky bits.
Here are 6 therapeutic processes to experiment with the next time you feel tensions rising in yourself...
1. Contact the Present Moment (Be Here Now): This step is about consciously connecting with and engaging in whatever is happening in this moment. Focussing on this mantra alone: Be present. Open Up. Do what matters,
2. Defusion (Watch Your Thinking): Rather than connecting in, this step is separating, stepping back, unhooking and detaching from thoughts, images, and memories. A great skill for anyone carrying trauma.
3. Acceptance (Open Up): Making room for painful feelings, sensations, urges, and emotions this process is about dropping the struggle with them like water through sand.
4. Self-as-Context (pure awareness): Consider your mind in two parts: The participant and the observer. The participant part of yourself is flooded with powerful thoughts and feelings whilst the observing part can identify, observe and provide steadiness and strength. A fantastic tool for managing anger.
5. Values (Know What Matters): What you want to do with your brief time on this planet? What truly matters to you in the big picture? Stay grounded and apply values that you believe in to make decisions during times that challenge you.
6. Committed Action (Do What It Takes): Taking effective action, guided by our values is what we need to get things done. It’s all well and good to know our values, but committed action is what will get you living by them.
The above 6 points are excellent tools for living a rich and fulfilling life and can be broadly applied! Consider saving this email somewhere or copy and pasting the tools into your notes for reading when you need them.
Go you good thing :)
