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Acceptance & Commitment Therapy
Thought Defusion
An ACT method to step back from harsh or catastrophic thoughts. See them as mental events — not facts — so stress narratives lose their grip on your behavior.
Key Benefits
Reduce the impact of negative thought spirals
Gain distance from rumination
Stop taking thoughts so literally
Build observational awareness of mental activity
How It Works
1
Notice a stressful thought passing through
2
Add 'I notice I'm having the thought that...'
3
Sing the thought to a tune (breaks its power)
4
Imagine thoughts as leaves floating down a stream
Reflective Questions
- 1What thought keeps replaying in your mind?
- 2If this thought was music, what genre would it be?
- 3Are you having the thought, or is the thought having you?
- 4What would you think if you weren't the thinker?
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