5 Ways ACT Helps with Anxiety and Overthinking
Anxiety often shows up as mental noise: What if something goes wrong? What does this mean? Why can’t I stop thinking about it? You may try to logic your way out of it, only to end up deeper in the loop. This is where Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) offers a powerful shift in how you relate to your thoughts.
ACT helps you build a different relationship with anxiety, not by eliminating it, but by learning how to carry it with more flexibility, compassion, and purpose.
Here are five ways ACT supports people who struggle with anxiety, overthinking, and mental compulsions:
1. You Learn to Observe Thoughts, Not Obey Them
ACT teaches a skill called cognitive defusion: the ability to notice your thoughts as thoughts, not truths. Instead of getting tangled in the content (e.g., I need to figure this out now), you step back and observe the thought like a passing cloud.
This helps reduce the urgency to analyze, fix, or solve every worry. It’s not about convincing yourself it’s okay, but learning to say: This is a thought I’m having, and I can keep moving anyway.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.
2. You Practice Willingness Instead of Avoidance
Anxiety makes us want to avoid discomfort at all costs. ACT gently encourages the opposite: willingness. That means learning how to make room for anxiety, physical tension, or doubt without shutting down, avoiding, or numbing out.
It’s not about liking anxiety. It’s about learning how to stay with it just long enough to act on what matters.
3. You Clarify Your Values
One of ACT’s central questions is: What kind of life do you want to build, even with anxiety here?
Instead of trying to eliminate fear before taking action, ACT helps you move toward your values—the relationships, pursuits, and experiences that make life meaningful. This gives anxiety a new context: it becomes something you carry on the way to something you care about.
4. You Learn Mindful Anchoring Skills
ACT includes present-moment practices to help you connect with your body, breath, and environment. These tools are especially helpful when anxiety becomes overwhelming or you feel stuck in rumination.
Simple grounding practices, like naming what you see or feeling your feet on the floor, can offer a way back to the moment you’re living in.
5. You Take Committed Action (Even When It’s Hard)
ACT empowers you to take meaningful action, even when anxiety is along for the ride. Instead of waiting until you feel “ready” or certain, you learn to move forward anyway, with courage, intention, and self-compassion.
It’s not about perfect outcomes. It’s about living in alignment with your values, moment by moment.
ACT in Therapy
In my work, I integrate ACT with other evidence-based approaches like Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), mindfulness, and body-based awareness. This creates a flexible, supportive space to explore anxiety without getting stuck in the loop of trying to fix or figure it all out.
If you struggle with chronic worry, overthinking, or the feeling that your mind is always one step ahead of you, ACT may offer the reset you’re looking for.
Ready to Begin?
I offer ACT-informed therapy via secure telehealth across California and in person in Santa Monica. If you’re ready to approach anxiety differently, I’d love to connect.
Schedule a free 20-minute consultation to learn more.