What is Acceptance?
- Many strategies for managing pain focus on trying to change painful experiences, thoughts, and feelings.
- ACT is different in that it works to change how you relate to these experiences rather than to change them directly. Because we often do not have control over chronic pain, the aim is to become more open to and accept that your pain is there in the moment, instead of fighting against it.
-
Experiencing your pain as it actually is (not as you fear it is or wish it was)
-
Allowing yourself to experience your pain*
- *It can be helpful to think of acceptance as allowing some of your pain, some of the time.
What does Willingness have to do with Acceptance?
- Willingness is a key part of accepting pain. You cannot have true acceptance without being willing to experience your pain (instead of struggling against it).
- Your acceptance of pain must be done willingly and with intention, with purpose.
- In this way, willingness is related to the WHY of acceptance. Without a reason for accepting your pain, it is hard to truly allow or accept your pain.
- Your values, which are covered in the next step, give your willingness to accept pain a purpose. By willingly accepting your pain you are freed from the struggle with pain, so you can live your life more fully and in-line with your values.
Next Steps
- See: Watch the video
- Cartoon: Watch the animation
- Initiate: Do the exercise!
You are currently logged in. Please head over to the My Activity section to complete your exercise.
Complete exerciseGetting bigger than your pain
This recording can be used when you notice yourself struggling with your pain. Before listening to the recording, we suggest that you rate how much you are struggling with your pain and how much you are able to make room for your pain. When you have finished listening to the recording, you can then complete these ratings again – you may find that after listening to the recording the ratings you give to your struggle with pain and your ability to make room for it have changed.
Please try to notice how it feels to be in control of your response. Notice how it feels different to struggle with pain versus allowing it to be there. You cannot control your pain but you can control your willingness to allow your pain to be present. Notice how struggling with pain feels different to allowing it to be there. Choosing to make room for your pain can help to put you in control of your life. When you spend less time trying to control your pain, you can focus on other parts of your life.
Going forward, we ask you to notice whether you are struggling with your pain or if you are making room for it. We recommend that you aim to increase the amount of time each day you choose to make room for your pain. You can use this exercise to help you to achieve that. With practice, you will learn that one way to manage your pain is to simply allow it to be there.
Please rate how much you are struggling with your pain and how much you are able to make room for your pain.
Exercise complete! Do you want to create an account or sign in to save this exercise?