Summary of Dr. Steven C. Hayes A Liberated Mind

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book.

Book Preview: #1 We have made incredible progress over the last fifty years, but we are also struggling to live meaningful, peaceful lives full of love and contribution. Our culture and minds haven’t adjusted to the rapidly changing world.

#2 The good news is that behavioral science has developed a set of skills that can help us better navigate life’s challenges. These skills, called psychological flexibility, help us turn toward our discomfort and disquiet in a way that is open, curious, and kind.

#3 The new science of psychological flexibility is not aping old themes, but it is understanding why these methods work. They help us turn toward our pain, and it is through this that we can begin developing the flexibility skills that will help us live happier and healthier lives.

#4 Psychological rigidity is the attempt to avoid negative thoughts and feelings caused by difficult experiences. It is at its core an attempt to avoid negative thoughts and feelings, and it often leads to anxiety, depression, and other problems.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Feb 19, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669349914

IRB Media

With IRB books, you can get the key takeaways and analysis of a book in 15 minutes. We read every chapter, identify the key takeaways and analyze them for your convenience.

Book preview

Insights on Steven C. Hayes PhD's A Liberated Mind

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 3

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

We have made incredible progress over the last fifty years, but we are also struggling to live meaningful, peaceful lives full of love and contribution. Our culture and minds haven’t adjusted to the rapidly changing world.

#2

The good news is that behavioral science has developed a set of skills that can help us better navigate life’s challenges. These skills, called psychological flexibility, help us turn toward our discomfort and disquiet in a way that is open, curious, and kind.

#3

The new science of psychological flexibility is not aping old themes, but it is understanding why these methods work. They help us turn toward our pain, and it is through this that we can begin developing the flexibility skills that will help us live happier and healthier lives.

#4

Psychological rigidity is the attempt to avoid negative thoughts and feelings caused by difficult experiences. It is at its core an attempt to avoid negative thoughts and feelings, and it often leads to anxiety, depression, and other problems.

#5

We are all subject to the dictator within, a part of our mind that constantly suggests solutions for our psychological pain, even though our own experience whispers that these solutions are toxic.

#6

We are paying a psychological price because what is really wrong within is treating life as a problem to be solved rather than a process to be lived. When we attempt to solve our problems by disappearing into rumination, we become so focused on them that they control our lives.

#7

The trap of rigidity is made worse by the messages we receive from the culture at large. Many businesses thrive on this messaging. You can eliminate your anxiety if you just learn to control your thoughts, and life will be better.

#8

The idea that we must challenge and change our thoughts to overcome negative emotions is not as important as it was made out to be. It is now known that this part of CBT, cognitive restructuring, is not what is most effective in treating mental illness.

#9

The idea that we can eliminate or completely restructure our thoughts is unnecessary and even futile. Our nervous system does not contain a delete button, and thought and memory processes are too complex to make them neat and tidy.

#10

To experience peace of mind, you must let go of your need to escape and instead focus on entering the realm of strength.

#11

I was so caught up in the struggle against my anxiety that I didn’t realize I was trying to control it. I was trying to avoid situations and events that could cause me anxiety, which only made my anxiety worse. I had to learn how to accept my anxiety, and eventually learn how to pivot away from it and toward a new, healthier me.

#12

The six pivots that enable us to live with more psychological flexibility are: 1) understanding how our thinking processes evolved, 2) recognizing the negative effects those processes have on us, and 3) discovering methods for overcoming those effects.

#13

Cognitive fusion is when you buy into what your thoughts tell you and let them dictate what you do. This trick of mind happens because we are programmed to notice the world only as it is structured by thought. We miss the fact that we are thinking.

#14

We all have stories about who we are and who others are in relation to us. When we hold onto these stories, it becomes difficult to be honest with ourselves or to make room for other thoughts, feelings, or behaviors that might benefit us and others.

#15

The Acceptance pivot is the process of moving from experiential avoidance to acceptance. It involves choosing to feel with openness and curiosity, so that you can live the kind of life you want to live while inviting your feelings to come