Noticing and Naming

Noticing and Naming is an idea taken from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.  It is a skill that helps people step out of automatic pilot and into awareness.  In other words, instead of getting swept up in thoughts, feelings, or urges, we learn to pause long enough to notice what's happening inside us and name it — "I'm having the thought that…", "I'm noticing a tightness in my chest…", "I'm feeling the urge to withdraw…".

This small shift creates psychological space. It helps us unhook from difficult inner experiences, reduce struggle, and reconnect with what matters so we can choose our next step more intentionally.  If there is one skill that you are going to try and focus on and put into your toolbox, this is a great starting place.  If we don't have awareness of our behaviours, emotions, thoughts and thought patterns and body sensations, we don't really know ourselves, and we can't change what we don't know.

Below is a useful worksheet that you can use to try and build the skill of noticing and naming.  As with any new skill you wish to learn, you have to practise and with time it will become more effortless.  So, be prepared, expect that it will be difficult to tap into thoughts and feelings, it will likely feel abit clumsy, and seem like a lot of effort. However, if you are able to stay with it and try as much as you can, as often as you can, you will hopefully see the benefit and have more awareness of yourself and what you body and mind is telling you.