Advanced · Defusion3 minutes
I'm Having the Thought That…
If you've done this before
For a sticky sentence that feels like a fact, not a thought.
- Catch the sentence. I'm too much. They're going to leave. I always ruin this.
- Say it again with a prefix: I'm having the thought that I'm too much.
- Then: I notice I'm having the thought that I'm too much.
- If it still has you, say the original sentence once in a slightly silly voice — then stop. This is distance, not mockery of yourself.
- Return to what you were doing. Don't start a debate with the thought.
Why it works: The content stays the same. The relationship changes. You are no longer inside the sentence — you are a person who is having it. From Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.