#86 Act the Opposite

Have you been feeling anxious, sad, or angry?

As explained by Psychologist Jenny Taitz in this excellent podcast, while our instinct is to act on these emotions, doing so often makes them worse. “People think that acting how they feel will help them,” she says, “but this tends to intensify our feelings.”

Instead, Taitz recommends a surprising, research-backed technique from dialectical behavioral therapy: 𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘦.

Our actions have a huge influence over our emotions, so if we 𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘦, we can change how we feel.  For example:

• Feeling sad? Instead of withdrawing, call a friend, go out, or exercise.

• Feeling anxious? Rather than avoiding or overthinking, face the task you’re tempted to avoid, or redirect your focus outward.

• Feeling angry? Instead of ranting or retaliating, do something kind, or inject some humor into the situation.

While this technique takes practice, Taitz calls it the “ultimate mental health hack.”