When the Mind Won’t Switch Off…
How Mindfulness-Based ACT Creates Space to Breathe.
Estimated read time: 3 minutes
There are times when your mind feels like a crowded room—thoughts competing for attention, worries looping, and emotions surging. In those moments, it can seem as if the only options are to push it all away or be completely overwhelmed. Mindfulness-based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) offers another path. Rather than fighting thoughts and feelings, ACT helps change your relationship with them, so life can be guided more by values than by anxiety, fear, or self-criticism.
What Is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)?
ACT is a modern, evidence-based form of counselling that focuses on:
Acceptance – making gentle room for difficult thoughts and feelings instead of battling them
Mindfulness – noticing what is happening in the present moment with curiosity rather than judgment
Values-based action – taking steps toward what truly matters, even when the mind is noisy
Rather than asking, “How can I get rid of these thoughts?” ACT asks, “How can I live a rich, meaningful life with these thoughts?”
How Thoughts and Language Can Trap You
Human minds are incredibly good at using language:
Replaying old conversations
Predicting worst-case scenarios
Comparing the self to others
Creating strict rules like “I must not fail”
Over time, this inner narrative can become a trap. You might start to believe every thought as if it were a fact, leading to:
Avoidance of situations that matter
Withdrawal from relationships
Constant self-criticism
Feeling “stuck” or powerless
ACT helps you notice these thought patterns and step back from them, so thoughts are seen as mental events—not as absolute truths.
Psychological Flexibility: Learning to Pivot
A core aim of ACT is psychological flexibility: the ability to stay present, open up to experience, and choose behaviour that aligns with personal values.
Psychological flexibility can show up as:
Staying with a difficult feeling rather than numbing or escaping
Choosing to act kindly, even when the mind is harsh
Returning attention to what matters, instead of being pulled into endless worry
Taking one small step toward a valued goal, even when anxiety shows up
Over time, this flexibility allows you to pivot toward a more meaningful life, rather than being pushed around by inner struggle.
Mindfulness in Everyday Life
In mindfulness-based ACT, mindfulness is woven into ordinary moments. For example, you might learn to:
Notice breathing during a wave of panic
Observe thoughts like “I can’t cope” as passing events
Ground through your senses (sight, sound, touch)
Bring gentle awareness to body tension and soften around it
These skills are not about “emptying the mind” but about relating differently to whatever the mind is doing.
When ACT Might Be Helpful
Research suggests ACT can support people living with:
Anxiety and worry
Depression and low mood
Substance or behaviour addictions
Chronic pain
Eating and body image concerns
Trauma-related difficulties
Psychosis and intense mental health experiences
ACT can be tailored to different needs, making it a flexible option for many people seeking support.
If you feel overwhelmed by your thoughts or stuck in unhelpful patterns can benefit from a space to slow down, reflect, and reconnect with what truly matters.
Joseph Counselling + Psychotherapy in Dulwich Hill, Sydney, and online Australia wide offers mindfulness-based ACT to support people in building psychological flexibility and living more in line with their values.
If you are ready to explore this approach can reach out to arrange an in-person or online appointment and begin gently reshaping your relationship with your mind.