An integral process in Acceptance & Commitment Therapy
By Conrad Taylor, MNCPS Acc
The Noticing Self (also known as the ‘Observing Self’ or ‘Self as Context’) is one of the 6 core pillars of Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), developed by Steven C Hayes PhD in the 1980’s and considered to be one of the main third wave CBT therapies. In order to explain the Noticing Self, it is helpful to consider that the mind is made up of two parts – there is your thinking part and there is the part that notices your thinking. There is the part of the mind where thoughts and feelings arise, and there is the part of the mind that is able to observe these thoughts and feelings.
In his book The Happiness Trap, leading ACT educator and innovator Russ Harris (2020, p 177) describes the Noticing Self as a “viewpoint from which you can notice your thoughts and feelings”. Harris (2020, p178) continues by saying there is “no capacity for self-awareness without the observing self”. It is with us from birth to death, ever constant and is responsible for awareness, attention and focus. ACT practitioners often use a sky and weather metaphor to illustrate the Noticing Self. In this instance, the sky is the Noticing Self – always there and never changing. Thoughts and feeling are like the weather conditions – sometimes sunny and warm, but also can be like the rain, thunder and hailstorms. Similar to the weather, thoughts and feelings are subject to change, whereas the Noticing Self, like the sky, remains forever constant.
So, how can the ‘Noticing Self’ support someone who is struggling with their mental health? Do you find your thoughts and feelings can be overwhelming, that they can take over your life and prevent you from doing the things you want to do? These negative and self-defeating thoughts that arise are intrusive and unwanted. Yet the more we try to get rid of them, the more they dominate and even escalate, creating negative feelings that range from uncomfortable and nauseating to debilitating and exhausting. Our in-built anxiety defence mechanism is triggered and we enter a state of fight, flight, freeze or flop.
The ‘Noticing Self’ is a way of expanding the space around these difficult thoughts and feelings. It helps to create acceptance and build resilience around emotional tolerance. The ‘Noticing Self’ is not about experiential avoidance and ignoring these thoughts and feelings. It is about experiential acceptance. Stopping the struggle, allowing your awareness to come to the fore and in this way dialling down the intensity. Shifting from an emotional state of mind to one in which you are more in control. When we allow our negative thoughts and feelings to dominate what we are want to do and who we are, we approach life from a place of psychological rigidity. By practicing pure awareness, we can notice these thoughts and feelings, create some space around them, and develop a more psychologically flexible approach. Notice the thought or feeling, acknowledge and accept that it is temporary and focus on a more logical and rational response.
In his inspirational book, Man’s Search For Meaning, holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl (2004) talks about Stimulus and Response. When we are stimulated by a difficult or challenging situation, this creates a response which might be a deeply felt emotionally reaction or a response that is measured, controlled and rational. For example, imagine you are driving a car and somebody aggressively cuts in front of you. Do you shout abuse at the driver of the other vehicle and get mad, or do you shrug your shoulders, remain in control and not react to the situation? Frankl talks about the space that exists between the Stimulus and Response – the more space that can be created, the more we can respond from a place of positivity and strength. It is within this space that the Noticing Self exists.
How do we bring the ‘Noticing self’ into everyday life? This takes regular practice and patience. You can start with a simple awareness activating approach called ‘Notice X’. In other words, notice what is happening around you. Bring an active attention and awareness whenever you are able to. Even with little things. Act from a perspective of the present moment. For example, “I notice that I am thinking X. I notice this is making me feel X. I notice these thoughts and feelings, and by observing them I know they will eventually pass.” It’s important that this is done in the real-time moment and practiced regularly so that you become more aware of what is happening around you and within you. That you are able to exert more control over your response to your thoughts and feelings. ACT therapists refer to this as unhooking or practicing diffusion techniques. In other words, by name your negative thoughts and feelings, you can start to tame them through experiential acceptance as opposed to cognitive fusion and avoidance.
To conclude this article, I would like to introduce to a level practice of the Noticing Self that you can use to access this part in a more deeper and meaningful way. It is based on “Leaves on a stream” and you will find other versions of this on the web.
Start by sitting in a comfortable chair. Ensure you have straight back by lengthening your spine. You might find it helpful to imagine a thread attached to the top of your head that pulls you up slightly. Dip your head and rest your hands gently in your lap. Notice your natural breathing rhythm without trying to change it. Close your eyes or soften your gaze. When you are ready, just allow your thoughts and feelings to arise. Without judgement and not analysing them. Just notice that they are there and allow them to come and go as they please. Don’t try to hold on to them or push them away. They can be positive, negative or neutral. If nothing comes up, just become aware of that too and be present where you are right now. At this point, I want you to imagine you are sitting comfortably by a stream. Notice that there are leaves on the stream and watch them as they pass you by. Some move quick, some slow and some hang around before moving on. Now, I would like you to visualise placing a thought or feeling on each of the leaves. Don’t try and do anything else with them. Just let the leaves move at their own pace. Watch each of the leaves without getting caught up in any of the thoughts or feelings. You are there just to notice, to be aware and nothing more. Watch the leaves, notice those that move quickly and those that are a bit slower. Then the ones that hang around because they get stuck, before eventually moving on. When you are satisfied that you have placed as many thoughts and feelings on to the leaves as you want to, take one of your hands and gently place it on your heart. And as you do this, notice any sensations that appear in your hand. Maybe warmth, maybe tingling, maybe nothing. What happens is not so important as just noticing. Take a few long breaths in and out, and try to observe breathing into your hand. Notice that you are relaxing your body through your breathing. When you are ready, slowly open your eyes. Notice the room you are in – name what you can see. Notice anything you can hear, and name it. Notice anything you can smell, and name it. Notice any sensations in your body and name them. Take one last deep breath in and out. And the practice is now complete.
A final word.
The Noticing Self is a key part of Acceptance & Commitment Therapy. If you are interested in exploring ACT in more detail, there are some excellent resources, a couple of which I have listed below. A really good starting point would be to visit https://www.actmindfully.com.au, where there some excellent resources.
References:
Frankl, V (2004). Man’s Search For Meaning. 5th ed. London, Great Britain: Rider, an imprint of Ebury Publishing, Random House Group
Harris, R (2020). The Happiness Trap. 3rd ed. London, Great Britain: Robinson.
Harris, R (2019). ACT Made Simple: An easy-to-read primer on acceptance and commitment therapy. 2nd ed, USA: New Harbinger Publications