Home » Training » ACT in Depth
Noticing Exercise
In the lesson on physical, thinking and observing self we introduced the concept of contacting the Observing Self. This is an important part of helping clients grasp the notion of Self as Context.
This lesson reinforces that lesson in helping your clients make contact with the Observing Self in a manner that is safe and grounding. It is especially useful for clients who are struggling with the concept.
The first instruction is to ask our client to be comfortable and to ‘notice x’; substitute ‘x’ with something that is easily notable within your environment, using one of the five senses. It may be ‘notice as many things as you can that are blue’ or ‘notice what you can smell’. This is purely a ‘present moment’ instruction, bringing the client to the present moment.
The second instruction is ‘now, be aware that you are noticing’. This introduces or reminds the client of the presence and the role of the Observing Self. We move from our experiences in the here and now and become aware of our Observing Self. So, we can help the client realise that he or she is noticing what is blue and then make them aware that they are noticing. The part of you that notices that you are noticing, is the Observing Self.
These instructions provide a quick way to contact the Observing Self. It is important to notice what the mind is saying, such as thoughts, commentary and images. We notice that there is a part of us that is able to observe and witness the act of what we are doing (listening or looking, for example). It is important to repeat this exercise frequently, to ensure a client becomes accustomed to taking that step back (gain perspective) and becoming aware that there is a silent witness inside that observes without judgement and cannot be touched, harmed or changed.
Connect with Nesh on: