Suggested Reading:
“Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life” is a self-help workbook that introduces Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), authored by Steven C. Hayes with Spencer Smith.
Key Ideas
The core message of the book is that pain is an inevitable part of the human experience, but suffering comes from our attempts to control or avoid this pain. ACT focuses on learning to accept pain, identifying personal values, and committing to action based on those values. It’s not about resisting emotions but embracing them without letting them dictate your decisions.
ACT is not about fighting your pain; it’s about developing a willingness to embrace every experience life has to offer. It’s not about resisting your emotions; it’s about feeling them completely and yet not turning your choices over to them. ACT offers you a path out of suffering by helping you choose to live your life based on what matters to you most. Clinical trials suggest that ACT is very effective for a whole range of psychological problems. But this is more than a self-help book for a specific complaint—it is an approach to living a richer and more rewarding life.
How It Works
What if pain were a normal, unavoidable part of the human condition, but avoiding or trying to control painful experience were the cause of suffering and long-term problems that can devastate your quality of life? The ACT process hinges on this distinction between pain and suffering. As you work through this book, you’ll learn to let go of your struggle against pain, assess your values, and then commit to acting in ways that further those values.
