Eileen Chiu, LMHC

What if you could place your unhelpful thoughts on clouds and watch them float away?

Do your thoughts trigger your anxiety and define your negative mood for the day? Are your thoughts one-sided and are you fixated on them? Are they consuming your attention and taking you away from the present moment? Do you assign fear, power, action, and urgency to your thoughts?

Cognitive fusion is when we are fused with our thoughts. We attach such a strong belief to a thought that it becomes an absolute truth in our minds. This can then dictate our behavior. At the start of my career, I struggled with the thought “I mess things up.” The thought became amplified into the belief that I always mess things up which prevented me from taking a job opportunity despite yearning to be in a more meaningful and fulfilling role. In another example, I thought that one car service was “much more superior” than the other one as it took me to my destination right on time three consecutive times in a row. I was fused to my belief, which was based on random circumstances and coincidences (weather, time of day, traffic), that I was paying significantly more for the “superior” car service. 

Cognitive defusion is a strategy derived from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) differs from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in that ACT focuses on changing our relationship with our unhelpful thoughts and CBT focuses on changing and restructuring the content of our unhelpful thoughts. Russ Harris, world-renowned trainer of ACT, explains the meaning and purpose of cognitive defusion in his book “ACT Made Simple”: 1. Looking at the thoughts rather than (looking at the world) from the thoughts; 2. Noticing thoughts rather than becoming caught up in thoughts; and 3. Letting thoughts come and go rather than holding onto them. This process can also help us identify and respond to the thought with an effective action- an action based on what “works” rather than what is “true.”

There are a number of creative and playful (and may even seem silly!) ways to defuse:

1. “I’m noticing a thought that…”
   Place the phrase “I’m noticing a thought that…” in front of the upsetting thought. Take another step back by placing the phrase “I’m noticing I’m just having a thought that...” Take a further step back by placing the phrase “I’m noticing I’m having just another thought about…” And even further back, placing the phrase “I’m noticing I’m having just another judgment.” 

2. Put your thoughts on clouds (Answer is “Yes, you can!” to the title of the blog)
   Imagine placing your thoughts on clouds high in the sky. You can’t change them or control them. Watch as the clouds come and go and slowly drift away. 

3. Click the “X” Button
   Imagine your thoughts as dozens of browser windows on your computer. Close the windows by clicking the "X" on each of them, and watch each thought disappear one by one.

4. “Thank You, Mind” 
   Instead of getting hooked by the thought or trying to suppress it, thank your mind for having the thought. Thoughts may have an origin story and can serve different functions; they can be helpful as well as harmful at times. 

5. Use a goofy voice/ Sing it
   Write down the distressing thought, then read it out loud 10 times in the voice of a cartoon character or a favorite actor/actress. Or sing it out loud in the voice of your favorite singer.

6. Picture your thoughts as an unwelcome guest
   Imagine opening the door and letting the guest in. Let it be uncomfortable, ill-mannered, rowdy, or scary. Visualize “making room” or “creating space” for it by letting it sit next to you. Notice that over time, it will gradually not take up your full attention. (helpful for certain OCD)

7. File Your Thoughts Away 
   Visualize folders with labels for the types of thinking, such as predicting, catastrophizing, regretting, comparing, and doubting. File your thoughts into the corresponding folders.

8. Use a “replacement” image 
   Think of a neutral image like pink cotton candy or a blue car and replace your thought with that same image each time the thought occurs. Do not change the image. (helpful for certain OCD)

9. Imagine a “willingness dial” 
   Allow yourself to be 100% willing to be with the thought. Imagine turning your “willingness dial” up all the way to 100 while you also turn your “resistance dial” or “suppression dial” down close to zero. Say out loud “Bring it on,” or “I’m willing to be uncomfortable.” (helpful for certain OCD)

10. Name the Story
    Think of repetitive thoughts as familiar stories, and notice how often they recur. Spot the I’m-a-failure story, the Nobody-likes-me story, or the Bad-things-always-happens-to-me story.