ACT|CBT: Chessboard Metaphor|Reflect (Never Mind Your Mind)

This session is rooted in Contextual Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), an evolution of traditional CBT that integrates mindfulness and psychological flexibility. Within this framework, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps us unhook from unhelpful thought patterns and engage more fully with life. We introduce the Chessboard Metaphor to help us step out of the futile battle with our thoughts.

Through reflection and practice, we explore how adopting this broader perspective creates space for all thoughts without needing to take sides. The session concludes with a grounding affirmation, empowering us to move forward with clarity and intention.

Transcript

This is part of a body of work called Never Mind Your Mind.

Today we will explore the chessboard metaphor,

Which offers a powerful perspective on stepping out of the futile battle with our thoughts and learning to observe them with spaciousness.

The Chessboard Metaphor by Stephen C.

Hayes The chessboard metaphor gives us an understanding of what it is like to be the observer of our thoughts,

Particularly as we tend to battle the thoughts that we don't want.

This metaphor helps us recognise the futile nature of doing so.

Imagine a chessboard,

Where on one side are all your positive thoughts,

And on the other side are all your negative ones.

Here you get to go through life trying to battle the negative pieces across,

And in doing so fighting to wipe off all the negative pieces from the board.

But there are two problems.

Number one,

There are an infinite number of positive and negative pieces ready.

No matter how many negative pieces you wipe off,

More will appear.

Number two,

The positive pieces actually attract the negative pieces.

So it's just like having a game of chess.

You move forward the positive piece called,

I am a good person,

And it immediately attracts the negative piece.

No you're not.

What about the way you handled that situation yesterday?

You move forward the positive piece called,

I love myself,

And it immediately attracts the negative piece.

No you don't.

What about the way you talk to yourself usually?

So we can go through life wasting a lot of time and energy trying to win this battle that can never be won.

But what if we could be like the chessboard?

The board is in intimate contact with all the chess pieces.

It makes space for all the pieces,

But it's not involved in the battle.

If we can learn how to be more like the chessboard,

To step back and observe our thoughts and feelings,

Allowing them to come and go,

To make space for them,

Without getting caught up in a conflict with them,

That enables us to step out of the battle and give them plenty of space to move around.

Being the chessboard means that we do this.

Then we needn't spend our energy caught up in a battle that we will never win.

So we can invest our energy in things that matter to us.

My consciousness is evolving every single time I notice an unhelpful thought and hold it lightly.

May my consciousness continue to evolve.

This appreciation helps me and heals me.

I am the chessboard,

I'm calm and I'm wide,

Holding my thoughts without taking a side.

I am the chessboard,

I'm calm and I'm wide,

Holding my thoughts without taking a side.

I am the chessboard,

I'm calm and I'm wide,

Holding my thoughts without taking a side.

Reviews

Good morning Reuben! I have started listening to the track CBT/ACT Never Mind Your Mind and feel so happy that everything that you’ve said earlier is coming back to me with even more meaning than before! And listening to you the first thing in the morning each day gives me so much direction and purpose in life. Thank you forever Reuben !❤️💕

Such an interesting and helpful perspective, thank you 🙏

I will invest my energy in things that matter to me. Thanks for your support Reuben 🙏🏻