Six Core Principles of ACT
​
MINDFULNESS / CONNECTION
Bring full awareness to your here-and-now experience with openness, interest and receptiveness, focusing on engaging fully in whatever
​
THE OBSERVING SELF
A transcendent part of you; a perspective from which to observe difficult thoughts and feelings, without being hurt by them. The one part of you that is unchanging, ever-present and impervious to harm. It has no physical properties. It is “Pure awareness”
​
DEFUSION
Recognising thoughts, images and memories for what they are – just words and pictures – and allowing them to come and go as they please, without fighting them, running from them or giving them more attention than they deserve
EXPANSION / ACCEPTANCE
Making room for feelings, sensations and urges and allowing them to come and go, without fighting them, running from them or giving them more attention than they deserve
​
VALUES
Clarifying what is more important in your heart; what sort of person you want to be, what is significant and meaningful to you, what you want to stand for in this life
COMMITTED ACTION
Taking effective action in line with your values (again and again, no matter how many times you go off track).