ACT|CBT: The Theatre & A Letter (Never Mind Your Mind)

This session is rooted in Contextual Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), an evolution of traditional CBT that incorporates mindfulness and psychological flexibility. A key approach within this framework is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which helps us relate to our thoughts in a more open and adaptive way.

We step into the Theatre of the Mind, where thoughts play roles on an inner stage. With a heartfelt Letter to My Mind, we offer appreciation for its dramas, while gently stepping back into the audience seat. Here, we gain the power to choose which parts we engage with.

We end with one powerful, rhyming affirmation that repeats softly until it fades… so its message lingers in your mind and settles deeply into the subconscious.

Transcript

This is a body of work called Never Mind Your Mind. The Theatre of the Mind. This metaphor is a common analogy in mindfulness and acceptance and commitment therapy literature. This has been adapted for the purpose of unhooking from unhelpful thoughts particularly. Imagine your mind as a grand old theatre. The stage is large, The lights are bright and there's a performance going on all the time. The actors on the stage are your thoughts. Some are loud and dramatic, Demanding your attention. Others are quieter, Waiting in the wings but still present. Picture it now. Your thoughts take on roles. Some play the critic, Always pointing out flaws and doubting your abilities. Others the worrier, Pacing back and forth, Forecasting disaster. The stage is filled with these actors and more, Each playing their part, Each delivering their lines. Sometimes it feels like these performances are all there is. You're so engrossed in the drama on stage that you forget where you are. It's as if the theatre disappears and you're no longer in the audience. You're in the play itself, Swept up in the story. But now imagine getting off the stage, Taking a step back. You sit down in the audience, Far enough from the stage to see the bigger picture. The performances are still happening, But from here they look different. You can see that the critic is just playing a role. It is serving a purpose. It's concerned. The worrier is acting out a script. It too, Serving a purpose. It's fearful. These thoughts aren't you, They're actors putting on a show. And here's the thing. As the audience, You have a choice. You don't have to believe everything the actors say. You don't have to follow their lead. You can watch the performance with curiosity, Even compassion. Knowing that you are not the actors. You are the observer, The one who sees the play unfold. What actors have been taking centre stage in your mind lately? Which of the actors are truly worthy of the energy and attention you give them? How might it feel to sit back in the audience, Watching the performance, Rather than getting caught up in the drama? Dear Mind, As I sit in this cafe, I am writing this letter to you and for me. Sometimes it feels like I'm caught in your theatre, Lost in the stories you tell. The critic stands centre stage, Delivering harsh lines that echo in my ears. The worrier takes over next, Painting vivid pictures of all that could go wrong. I get so wrapped up in these performances, And others, That I forget they're not real. But I'm starting to see things differently. I'm realising that I don't have to stand on stage with the actors, Getting entangled in their stories. Instead, I can take my seat in the audience, Watching the performance with a sense of distance. From here, I see that the critic is just playing a role. Its lines are scripted, Not truths about who I am. The worrier, Too, Is just an actor, Caught up in its own exaggerated storyline, Trying to protect me like an overprotective friend. Dear Mind, Thank you for giving me this reference point for comparison. Thank you for helping me see that I am not you, Unless I choose you. I am the observer, The one who watches, Who chooses, Who decides which parts of the play to take seriously, And which to let go. So here's my commitment. When the drama feels overwhelming, I'll remember to take my seat from time to time. I'll remind myself that I am not the actors. I am the one watching, The one who can step back and choose my focus. Yours sincerely, With compassion and gratitude from me. I choose to embrace the growth of my consciousness by allowing this affirmation to settle within, Nurturing me just as I am in this moment. Every single time I notice an unhelpful thought simply as a thought, My consciousness evolves just a little more. My mind is a stage where thoughts take their place. I sit in the audience, Granting them space. My mind is a stage where thoughts take their place. I sit in the audience, Granting them space. My mind is a stage where thoughts take their place. I sit in the audience, Granting them space. My mind is a stage where thoughts take their place. I sit in the audience, Granting them space.

Reviews

Reuben - you are a genius. This analogy works so well for me. Thank you for yet another strategy for distancing myself, lovingly, from the drama that can be my mind. Sending so much gratitude and love.