Acceptance: making room for painful feelings, urges and sensations, and allowing them to come and go without a struggle.

In Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), acceptance refers to the process of allowing ourselves to experience difficult thoughts, feelings, and sensations without trying to avoid or control them. This involves an attitude of openness and willingness to encounter whatever arises in the present moment, even if it is unpleasant or uncomfortable.

Acceptance can help us expand our range of emotional and behavioural options, as it allows us to let go of our attempts to avoid or suppress difficult experiences. This can give us more flexibility in how we respond to our thoughts and feelings, and allow us to act in line with our values and goals, even in the face of difficult emotions.

To practice acceptance, it’s important to cultivate a non-judgmental attitude towards our experiences. This means allowing ourselves to have whatever thoughts, feelings, and sensations arise, without evaluating them as good or bad. It also involves letting go of the need to control or change our experiences, and instead learning to be with them as they are.

In addition to expanding our emotional and behavioural options, acceptance can also help us to cultivate a sense of willingness to engage with our experiences, even when they are difficult. This involves a commitment to being present and to facing our thoughts and feelings, rather than avoiding them.

Overall, acceptance is a key part of ACT and can help us to be more flexible and responsive in the face of difficult thoughts and feelings, and to live in line with our values and goals.