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Mental Brakes to Avoid Mental Breaks | Steven Hayes | TEDxDavidsonAcademy

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How can we best deal with difficult or negative thoughts? Dr. Steven Hayes discusses language, cognition, and the science behind putting on the mental brakes.

Steven C. Hayes is Nevada Foundation Professor at the Department of Psychology at the University of Nevada. An author of 41 books and more than 575 scientific articles, he has shown in his research how language and thought leads to human suffering, and has developed "Acceptance and Commitment Therapy" a powerful therapy method that is useful in a wide variety of areas. His popular book "Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life" was featured in Time Magazine among several other major media outlets and for a time was the number one best selling self-help book in the United States. Dr. Hayes has been President of several scientific societies and has received several national awards, such as the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx

20 Comments

@rsalehin 3 years ago

Tools for mental brakes:
1. Mindfulness; observe your thoughts as if they are clouds passing by.
2. Give your mind a name; it's a way of creating distance from the narrative of mind.
3. Repeat the negative word really fast for 30 seconds. The word will lose its meaning. It's opposite of deja vu - jamais vu.
4. Give the mental narrative a funny voice; the main idea is to create a sense of separation.

@smokymtpotpourri4760 3 years ago

What a LOVING, CARING, & *BEAUTIFULLY-GIFTED speaker this man is!! I'm blown away by his ability to make such difficult & complex issues so easily understood! Those 30 years of dedication are some of
THE MOST VALUABLE IN HISTORY in regards to the knowledge & compassion that he has brought to humanity!
With love & *deep respect! ...
THANK you Sir!

@nickwilliams6187 2 years ago

My therapist assigned me this TEDTalk. I’ve been working through some really rough stuff and my time in counseling is in its infancy. I was not ready for the breakthrough I would have at the end of the video and I can’t wait to share. My younger self would be both excited and appalled with me. Excited because of where I am and appalled that I ever even have the inkling of an idea that I am not doing the best I can. I bawled like a baby. This was fantastic

@goneout3062 9 years ago

Now I'm hungry for hats.

@COVERSandBUSKING 2 years ago

Tools for mental brakes:

The main idea is to create a sense of separation.

1. Mindfulness; pin your thoughts on clouds or cars, which are passing by

2. Give your mind a name; it's a way of creating distance from the narrative of mind.

3. Repeat the negative word really fast for 30 seconds. The word will lose its meaning. It's opposite of deja vu - jamais vu.

4. Give the mental narrative a funny voice

5. Sing the mental narrative

6. Write the thought or adjective on your tshirt or desktop background

7. Imagine yourself as a little child saying it

@psicologiadelbienestar-org 9 years ago

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

@onlyallegra 4 years ago

My mom just died and I am beginning to burn out doing so much. I was skipping meals until I completed stuff and and tired from driving my dad around and dropping things off so we can cancel things. I am 35 but have a life that feels like a 60-year old. I put off doing laundry for so long that I started buying new items. No one dropped off food yet, and it has been a week since mom died. Local elections are Tuesday. My family flying from California aren't coming until later. And, my uncle's anniversary of his suicide is the day before mom's funeral this Friday. So much won't get done until I do it, but I might have help later. But, I cannot push it all off because I have no idea when my brothers are flying from California. They won't come until the tickets are the cheapest. They can't afford hotels and plane tickets, so they will stay with us. I am having to make room.

The only way I am dealing is learning to slow down and listen to my own needs. It's hard to ask people for help, because I don't know what to ask. I am just doing my best. Listening to things like this helps.

@MTIvancic 10 years ago

This Ted Talk from Steven Hayes is superb. I have seen similar talks where he is more engaging because it was personal, but this is the most useful one I have seen so far because he showed you (1) the powerful influence ( and science) of language, (2) the moment of that influence, and (3) multiple, practical ways of dealing with these events. I have never heard this explained so clearly in such a short period of time. If you are a scientist, notice the importance of RFT. If you are religious, notice there is more to what you notice than who you think you are. If you meditate, this is another way to consider what you have already noticed is quite important.

@CableAnna 5 years ago

Four years later I still remember the numbers 😂

@BriansImaginarium 10 years ago

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

@maxhalliwell 10 years ago

hi Steve I followed your link and watched this and did the exercise at the end and I wept with relief. thank you. the power of the internet, I would have had to travel miles and pay a therapist a mucho dinero to get anywhere near what I experienced. today is the day in my life that I know I have found the right path, thank you from the bottom of my heart my friend.

@ninjettifire 3 years ago

Self-help and Behavioral Health recovery 101: We are not our thoughts. Beautiful and illuminating speech. Thank you, Dr. Steven Hayes.

@jasonsands5881 6 years ago

I just finished reading Dr Hayes book A Liberated Mind. Good stuff. I’m already using the tools to tackle my anxiety.

@json7598 4 years ago

Thank you for Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT). I tried various cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), but they did more harm than good in stressful situations. I ended up fusing my thoughts so often I trained myself to have general anxiety disorder and panic attacks. ACT and a few other things helped me reduce and eliminate panic.

You do fantastic science that saves lives and helps recover from mental suffering.

@gayliajohnston1991 5 years ago

Oh my goodness. I cried through most of that. Thank you for doing the thing. And what a storyteller you are too.

@vrd5911 10 years ago

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..

@letsgoforit88 7 years ago

The best ted talks i've heard. Maybe the only useful and practical one that worth my time. Thanks.

@waulau8 5 years ago (edited)

Thank you sir ! Thanks for sharing ! I learned from it. It heals me on the spot after i named her "George" ! Thank you !

@UrbanFoxalicious 7 years ago

I LOVE this TED talk so much...I’ve seen it so many times. I love the ideas in it and also how it’s presented; Steven is knowledgeable, kind, and funny. Thank you for posting :)

@rebeckasvensson838 9 years ago

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