Mental Brakes to Avoid Mental Breaks | Steven Hayes | TEDxDavidsonAcademy

you re changing my life, Steve. And my patients` too (I m a psychotherapist). Thank you.

I love your work which gives me so much hope x.

Dear Steven Hayes, I have just started reading your book "Get Out of Your Mind & Into Your Life" translated into Swedish. I find it very valuable and will train according to your methods. Many years ago I read literature by Sigmund Freud and remember his theories about language. Even if Freud wrote his articles 120 years ago I think he also focused on the interplay between mind and language. What is your opinion about this historical context ACT and psychoanalysis?

Excelente. Gracias

This is one of the best talks i´ve listened to,when it comes to helping you´re self... Right now i´m going through a difficult time,and these "tricks" to actually put down the brake, just helps me so much. Just have to figure out what to name my mind haha! :D

My thoughts are not words like - mean, useless, evil. My thoughts are terrifying about strokes, migraines etc after I had one 23 years ago and my fears got worse and worse as I struggled to be 'normal'. I tried to say strokestrokestroke again and again - if I just keep doing it will the fear subside? Same with migraine? Loved the talk but I think my problems are too difficult to use these breaks.

Dr. Hayes, I have found these strategies helpful in coping with rumination. I find I am no longer bothered by many things that used to pain me for too long. Bonus, as an aspiring behavior analyst, I have found that I can let a lot of the stresses at work go at the drop of a dime. I'd love to read some research on how these strategies help those with rumination, can you point me in the right direction? Further, is there any research on how professionals can use these strategies to copy with work stress?

How do u u find purpose in life...when u feel no meaning and empty

hey steven-- how can one deal with their parent's massive conflicts-- they are both doing stuff that would break the family- whats the solution or is this something that is 'unchangeable' -- some this will just happen??

Thank you for this Steven & TED. It was recommended to me by a therapist from the Southwark (London) CBT Online team. Great pooling of resources and an excellent model the NHS and global health collaboration. They say life doesn't come with an instruction manual but this diagnostic tool for the brain should be given out at birth!

Now I'm hungry for hats.

Insights presented wonderfully!

He is so great..

Genius! Thank you Dr. Hayes for your inspiring talk! Fighting with anxiety i can tell coming onto practice is not as easy as it sounds but does do the work... Thats how our mind worka indeed from time to time and thats when we have to put the breaks on! It scares me a bit that ita a lifetime journey though (thats my mind speaking now) but i hope i can turn my life towards values and volunteerism where i think i find happiness most otherwise without my panic attacks i would be intersted in just being a modern way of life fashion victim! Thank you again Dr..

~ Steven Hayes
Or NEVER Mind!!!

When looking at the slides something odd comes to my mind: "everybody has a brain"

Thank you. This helps a lot with my panic disorder. I watched Psychological Flexibility first and then this one and I feel hope. I have always hidden my injured child away - shaming her for her weakness, but after watching, I sat back and listened. I looked at a picture of myself as a child, closed my eyes - and embraced her. I felt her tears on my cheeks; her pain in my heart. When I was 13 (over 30 years ago years ago) I wrote:

Hide in yourself - don't let anyone see -
who you are or what you want to be.

Hide your thoughts - don't let them show -
Just paint on a smile - no one will know.

Do I have love deep inside -
and if I do why does it hide.

I want to look into your eyes and see you understand.
I want the warmth of love - Please come take my hand.


Doctor Hayes, I looked into your eyes and saw you understood. Today I suffer from PTSD, agoraphobia, avoidance, co-dependency, panic disorder, battered women's syndrome, and phobias. I've allowed these things to control my life experience.

Is there any way to use this technique for PTSD? I feel I have no control of the flashbacks. They hit me like a storm. Is there a way to stop them from happening using ACT?

me too...I love Steve already!

love Steven already

ACT enables me to live the life I want. Thank you Steven for all your research and work. It's literally been life-changing.