ACT Exercise: Thoughts as Traffic

The Bust Street Metaphor

Imagine you’re sitting in a room—at home or at work—doing something important to you. Maybe you’re working, resting, or spending time with someone you care about.

Outside your window is a busy street. Cars rush past constantly. Sometimes you barely notice them. Other times the screeching brakes, revving engines, and honking horns are impossible to ignore.

Now imagine that these cars represent your thoughts.

Some thoughts are just background noise. Others are loud, emotional, or urgent. Every so often, a driver slows down, rolls down the window, and yells:

“Hey! Jump in! I’ll take you somewhere better—more comfortable, more exciting, or less scary than where you are right now!”

When this happens, you have a few options.

Three Common Ways We Respond to Thoughts

1) Getting Hooked

You drop what you’re doing, jump into the loudest or most convincing car, and speed off down the road.

In ACT, we call this getting hooked by a thought.

2) Avoidance

You try to block out the traffic entirely. You board up the windows, stuff cotton in your ears, turn up the music, and sing,“La la la la la—I can’t hear any cars!”

In ACT, we call this avoidance.

3) Acceptance and Committed Action

You notice the cars passing by. Some are loud, annoying, tempting, or even scary. A motorcycle backfires. A driver tries to lure you away.

Instead of chasing the cars or trying to silence them, you bring your attention back to what you’re doing—your work, your rest, or the person you’re with. You accept that the street is noisy, at least for now, and you continue living your life.

In ACT, we call this acceptance and committed action.

Option 3 isn’t always the most comfortable, but it allows you to stay engaged with what matters to you, even when anxiety, doubt, or other uncomfortable thoughts show up.

You can’t control traffic—and you can’t fully control your thoughts. But when you allow thoughts to pass like cars on a busy street, rather than treating them as commands or threats, you free yourself to keep moving in the direction of your values.

Exercise: Noticing Costs and Benefits

Take a moment to really picture the scene above. Imagine yourself doing something meaningful, difficult, or relaxing while the noisy traffic outside your window keeps pulling at your attention.

Each response below has both benefits and costs. See if you can identify them honestly, based on your own experience.

1) GETTING HOOKED

You jump into a passing car (a thought) and speed off toward something that promises relief from discomfort.

BENEFITS:

COSTS:

2) AVOIDANCE

You struggle to block out the traffic (your thoughts) by any means necessary.

BENEFITS:

COSTS:

3) ACCEPTANCE AND COMMITTED ACTION

You notice the cars (thoughts), including how annoying, tempting, or scary they can be. Instead of trying to stop them or escape them, you gently bring your attention back to what you’re doing. Even when you get distracted, you return again—accepting that, for now, you live on a noisy street.

BENEFITS:

COSTS: