RE: ACT exercises to help with feelings

[Guest guest]

I think expansion/acceptance have two components. Simone explained the first one very well. The other one is simply keeping moving towards your values regardless of your feelings. I must do them together. Without the first it feels like brute force ACT. Without the second one I'm not really living a valued life. I try to remember that in the uninvited guest metaphor the host keeps going with the party (life) in spite of the aunt's presence (feelings).BillTo: ACT_for_the_Public From: adrianandboo@...Date: Fri, 25 Nov 2011 15:56:15 +0000Subject: Re: ACT exercises to help with feelings

Hi ,

I feel I have got better at expansion of late. And for me, it all comes down to the breath. I take a big deep slow abdominal breath in, filling the lungs completely, then let it all out, pushing all the air out with my tummy muscles and then allow the lungs to re inflate on their own. A couple of normal breaths and then repeat. I have found this very 'grounding'. Whilst I do this, I imagine that I am expanding and getting bigger like a balloon making space for all the uncomfortable feelings that I have. I might even open my arms in a gesture of spaciousness. Sometimes I imagine that I am a big bowl (seriously!) that is gently holding all of my experiences, simply observing, watching, allowing as they swish about in the bowl.

Works a lot - but not always when I am deeply entrenched in a 'story'.

Another thing that I read this week that I found really useful is say to yourself, 'This is interesting - I wonder how long it will last'.

Everything changes, passes, your slump will too! Good luck.

Simone

PS A good book that I am just reading is The Mindfulness Workbook by - lots of useful exercises in there.

To: ACT_for_the_Public Sent: Friday, 25 November 2011, 11:53Subject: ACT exercises to help with feelings

HelloEvery few months something triggers what I perceive to be a crisis - a reality slap, to use the book title - and I end up writing on here with a specific issue with ACT that I've not resolved. That time has come again.There are lots of techniques to defuse from unhelpful thoughts. I find that noticing 5 things and the leaves on a stream imagery helps enormously, but there are others too. I find them easy to practice, any time I want to. But for feelings.....I only have The Happiness Trap, which offers "expansion" for feelings. I am surprised how little we talk about expansion on the forum, as compared to defusion. I find that expansion does nothing for me. It does nothing to change the way I perceive the feeling in the pit of my stomach. I perceive that feeling to be worse than any pain I've ever suffered, and I can't seem to change that

perception. I know I can't get rid of it, but I want to change my perception of how significant it is.My question: is expansion the only ACT exercise that can help with feelings you get? Is there anything else in the other books that might help me? Something meditation-based? Someone once mentioned something about an exercise where you picture someone reaching in and "touching" the feeling in your stomach, whilst practicing expansion, but I've forgotten about that one. I think that I need something to practice.Sorry if this is repetitive. When in a slump, I find I forget things that people have told me.Any thoughts very much welcome x

[Guest guest]

Just wonderding how you got on, Neil. If good news, I'd love to hear it, and if bad news, I'd like to offer my support (I'm sure we all would). Best wishes x To: "ACT_for_the_Public " <ACT_for_the_Public > Sent: Friday, 25 November 2011,

13:23 Subject: Re: ACT exercises to help with feelings

Hi I can sympathise with you as I struggle immensely with expansion, I just cannot seem to be able to nail it at all. You may remember I posted on here a couple of weeks ago about not being able to attend my new job because of my extreme anxiety, well I'm still out of work as my feelings are stopping me although I did have an interview yesterday which went quite well, hopefully going to find out today if I was successful or not, so keeping everything crossed! I am getting better at defusion and the noticing five things and listening to five sounds both work for me although, you're right there are several ways of defusing. Maybe in the next conference I will suggest expansion as a topic we can discuss and get everybodys viewpoints on it and perhaps learn easier ways of opening up to uncomfortable feelings. Take care , hope

you can find peace in yourself soon. NeilSent from my iPhone

Hello

Every few months something triggers what I perceive to be a crisis - a reality slap, to use the book title - and I end up writing on here with a specific issue with ACT that I've not resolved. That time has come again.

There are lots of techniques to defuse from unhelpful thoughts. I find that noticing 5 things and the leaves on a stream imagery helps enormously, but there are others too. I find them easy to practice, any time I want to.

But for feelings.....

I only have The Happiness Trap, which offers "expansion" for feelings. I am surprised how little we talk about expansion on the forum, as compared to defusion. I find that expansion does nothing for me. It does nothing to change the way I perceive the feeling in the pit of my stomach. I perceive that feeling to be worse than any pain I've ever suffered, and I can't seem to change that perception. I know I can't get rid of it, but I want to change my perception of how significant it is.

My question: is expansion the only ACT exercise that can help with feelings you get? Is there anything else in the other books that might help me? Something meditation-based? Someone once mentioned something about an exercise where you picture someone reaching in and "touching" the feeling in your stomach, whilst practicing expansion, but I've forgotten about that one. I think that I need something to practice.

Sorry if this is repetitive. When in a slump, I find I forget things that people have told me.

Any thoughts very much welcome

x