Apr 04, 2025

ACT Therapy for Anxiety: Practical Exercises for Relief

Anxiety can feel overwhelming, making even small tasks seem impossible. But what if instead of fighting those anxious thoughts, you could learn to accept them and move forward with confidence? 💡

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a powerful approach that helps you let go of negative thought patterns, focus on your values, and take meaningful action—despite your fears.

In this guide, we’ll explore simple but powerful ACT-based exercises to help you:

✅ Reduce overthinking

✅ Manage stress & anxiety

✅ Build emotional resilience

Plus, grab your ACT Therapy Worksheets to put these techniques into practice today!

📥 Get them here: ACT Therapy Worksheets, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Workbook

What is ACT Therapy & How Can It Help with Anxiety?

Unlike traditional therapy approaches that focus on eliminating negative thoughts, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) teaches you how to:

✔ Accept emotions instead of suppressing them

✔ Identify and commit to your core values

✔ Use mindfulness techniques to stay present

📖 Research shows that ACT can significantly improve emotional well-being by reducing avoidance behaviors and promoting psychological flexibility.

5 ACT-Based Therapy Exercises for Anxiety Relief

1. The Thought Defusion Technique

When anxiety strikes, thoughts can feel overwhelming. Thought defusion helps you separate yourself from those thoughts so they lose power over you.

📝 Try this:

Identify an anxious thought (e.g., “I’ll never succeed at this”).
Say it out loud repeatedly for 30 seconds. Notice how it loses its emotional charge.
Visualize placing the thought on a floating cloud and watching it drift away.

2. The Values Bullseye Exercise 🎯

Anxiety often distracts us from what truly matters. The Values Bullseye helps you refocus on actions that align with your core values.

📝 Try this:

Draw a bullseye with four rings.
In the center, write your top values (e.g., family, creativity, health).
Write down actions that align with those values and ones that don’t.
Make a plan to take one action closer to the center every day.

🖨 Download the Values Bullseye Worksheet here.

3. The 5-Senses Grounding Exercise 🌿

When anxiety takes over, grounding techniques help bring you back to the present.

📝 Try this:

Name 5 things you can see.
Name 4 things you can touch.
Name 3 things you can hear.
Name 2 things you can smell.
Name 1 thing you can taste.

This simple technique calms the nervous system and helps you recenter during anxious moments.

4. Committed Action: The 5-Minute Rule ⏳

Feeling stuck because of anxiety? The 5-Minute Rule helps you overcome avoidance and take action.

📝 Try this:

Pick a task you’ve been avoiding.
Commit to working on it for just 5 minutes.
Once you start, anxiety often reduces—and you’ll likely continue!

Progress, not perfection, is key.

5. The Acceptance Statement Affirmation 💬

Fighting anxiety only makes it worse. Acceptance allows you to acknowledge your emotions without judgment.

📝 Try this:

Write down: “I am feeling anxious right now, and that’s okay. Anxiety is just a feeling, not a fact.”
Say it out loud until the emotion feels less overpowering.

ACT teaches that discomfort doesn’t mean danger—learning to sit with emotions is powerful.

Conclusion & Next Steps

ACT Therapy is a game-changer when it comes to managing anxiety. Instead of resisting, learn to work with your emotions so you can live a more meaningful, fulfilling life.

🛠 Get the full set of ACT Therapy Worksheets to start applying these exercises today!

📥 Download here: ACT Therapy Worksheets, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Workbook