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ExerciseAnxietyAdultACT8 min

Leaves on a Stream

A cognitive defusion exercise: watch thoughts float past instead of getting hooked.

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Prompts

  1. 1

    Imagine sitting beside a gentle stream with leaves drifting by.

  2. 2

    Place each thought on a leaf and let it float away.

  3. 3

    If you get hooked, notice that, and gently return to the stream.

  4. 4

    What was it like to watch thoughts instead of follow them?