Using Defusion to Break Free from the Worry Thought Trap
It’s common to think, or hear, the phrase: “It’s just the way I am” in reference to some behavior we are struggling with (or refusing) to change about ourselves. This statement becomes the narrative of why we stay within our comfort zone, how we introduce ourselves to new people, or how to avoid changes in our relationships thus keeping us stuck in a self-destructive cycle.
It breeds a sense of mental rigidity and can even go to the extremes of emotional debilitation for some folks struggling within their mental health. When we have a specific way of doing things in life, it usually doesn’t leave much room for growth to happen. We end up suffering from psychological inflexibility, or “fusion” with our thoughts.
How ACT Helps Through Defusion
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a helpful therapeutic modality that shows us a purposeful way of living. As a therapist who incorporates concepts of ACT within my therapeutic sessions with folks, my clients walk away with realistic skills that help them feel more aligned with their values and aware of how to separate themselves from that place of inflexibility.
One of the core components of ACT is this construct called Cognitive Defusion, which is the focus of education in this blog. It’s important to be aware of how this may show up in your life, along with actionable steps to begin “defusing” from that rigid narrative of yourself.
We cannot control the thoughts that show up, but we can work to control how long we spend on those thoughts. Our attention is easily consumed by negative thoughts, worry thoughts, or anxious thoughts. It feels impossible to break that mental loop sometimes, which leaves us feeling stuck inside a thought–unable to focus on anything else.
This is the moment we are “fused” with our thoughts. Cognitive Defusion techniques help us to break free from this mental trap. The skills explored within ACT work by shifting your attention from the content of the thoughts to the process of thinking. Through practice, this helps loosen the hold those thoughts have over your life.
3 N’s of Defusion (Let’s Practice)
Usually starting out, the concept of defusion can feel confusing simply because you are trying something new to cope with your anxious thoughts. Try to be kind with your mind as you work to shift your attention to your entire awareness.
Notice: This initial part of practicing defusion involves you simply noticing what thoughts are present. You can sit in this practice for however long you need to, ensuring that you are focused on observing your thoughts as they surface. This may look like:
Notice what you are thinking/worrying/etc.
Notice what thoughts are popping up
Notice what your mind is doing right now
What is your mind currently saying to you?
2. Name: Once you feel like you’ve mastered the noticing phase, then move into naming your thoughts. Don’t overthink your thoughts and release any judgments; your goal is to only label the thoughts as they are. It is helpful to give them a recurring label as well, since oftentimes those worry thoughts will continue to resurface.
Simple naming: “thinking,” “worrying,” “self-judgment,” “black-and-white thinking,” or “predicting the worst”
Playful naming: “radio doom and gloom,” “mind chatter,” “the inner critic mouthing off again,” or “the not-good-enough story”
Self-referential naming: “I’m having the thought that…” or “there goes my mind”
3. Neutralize: This final phase for defusion is where it all ties together. We are trying to put our cognitions into a new context that will neutralize their influence–disarming those negative thoughts. Within this final practice is where the magic happens with defusion, the goal is to view your thought processes in terms of workability.
Ask yourself this question before trying out some skills below: “If you act on this thought, or even dwell on it, and allow it to dictate your choices…will it take you toward or away from the life you want to live?”
Observe the thought as if it were an object. Notice the thought or the words, give them a size or location. Notice how they come and go. (e.g. “thoughts are a leaf floating down a stream”)
Depict the thought. Describe the nature or properties of the thought in terms of words or images it contains (e.g. “hot thoughts,” “heavy thoughts,” “sticky thoughts”)
Give the cognitive process a character. Characterize a pattern of harsh self-judgment as the “inner critic” or a pattern of worrying, catastrophizing, and predicting the worst as “radio doom and gloom.”
Tying it All Together
Practicing Cognitive Defusion skills is a daily practice so that your mind doesn’t feel so cluttered all the time. It helps for the days you feel stuck in a worry loop, a depressive rut, or when life is just stressing you out entirely. Defusing from your thoughts allows you to work with the thoughts versus working around them.
Try practicing how to simply notice your thoughts for the remainder of the week. Notice the good, the bad, and the ugly.
You are not aiming to master those thoughts just yet, but trying to recognize them as they are. When you have the capacity to name your thoughts, you are a step closer to taming those thoughts!
Reach out today if you are wanting to learn more about cognitive defusion and applying it to your life with the help of a mental health therapist!
