How ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) Helps You Face Anxiety (Instead of Avoiding It)
Most of us think anxiety is something we need to get rid of. If I could just stop feeling this… then I’d finally live my life. But here’s the thing: anxiety isn’t something you can control or erase completely.
That’s where Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) comes in. Instead of fighting anxiety, ACT helps you build a new relationship with it — one where you can live a full, meaningful life even when anxious thoughts and feelings show up.
Here are 3 ways ACT helps you work with anxiety instead of against it:
1. Making Space for Your Feelings (Instead of Pushing Them Away)
Trying to push anxiety away usually just makes it louder. It’s like holding a beach ball underwater — exhausting, and eventually it pops back up, sometimes stronger than before.
ACT teaches you how to make space for uncomfortable feelings instead of fighting them. That doesn’t mean you like them or want them — it just means you stop wasting energy trying to control them.
Try this: The next time anxiety shows up, pause and say: “I notice I’m feeling anxious right now.” Take a slow breath and let the feeling sit beside you, like an unwelcome guest at the table. You don’t have to wrestle with it — you just notice it’s there.
2. Defusing from Anxious Thoughts
Anxiety loves to convince you that your thoughts are facts: I can’t handle this. Something bad is going to happen. Everyone’s judging me.
ACT helps you “defuse” from those thoughts — to see them as words passing through your mind, not absolute truths.
Try this: Say your anxious thought in a silly voice, like a cartoon character. Or put “I’m having the thought that…” in front of it:
Instead of: “I can’t do this presentation.”
Say: “I’m having the thought that I can’t do this presentation.”
It creates just enough distance so you can choose how to respond, rather than letting anxiety boss you around.
3. Moving Toward What Matters
If anxiety had its way, it would keep you stuck in avoidance: avoiding social events, avoiding risks, avoiding anything that feels uncertain. The problem is, avoidance also keeps you from the things that actually make life meaningful — friendships, opportunities, joy.
ACT helps you get clear on your values (what matters most to you) and take small steps toward them, even if anxiety tags along.
Try this: Ask yourself: “If anxiety weren’t in the driver’s seat, what would I do right now?” Then take one small step in that direction — send the text, apply for the job, go on the walk. Anxiety might still be there, but you’re moving toward a life that actually matters.
The Bottom Line
ACT doesn’t promise to erase anxiety — but it does give you tools to stop avoiding life because of it. You learn to:
Make room for hard feelings
Unhook from unhelpful thoughts
Live guided by your values instead of your fears
In other words, ACT helps you stop waiting for anxiety to disappear before you start living. You can move forward now — anxiety and all.
If you’re tired of letting anxiety run the show, you don’t have to do it alone. Working with a therapist who specializes in ACT can help you practice these skills in a supportive, real-life way — so you can notice your anxiety, respond with intention, and take steps toward the life you actually want. Anxiety might still show up, but with the right tools, it doesn’t have to control you.
Ready to get started? Schedule today.