The cornerstone of ACT is promoting psychological flexibility, the ability to notice what is going on in and around you and to be able to keep moving toward who and what is important to you in the presence of what you find difficult or  to change direction if you need to. Psychological flexibility is the cornerstone of mental health and a core process of living a meaningful life.

The ACT Matrix is hands down the simplest psychological flexibility tool going. Walking through the diagram with a few respectful questions on a regular basis is the antidote to the inevitable internal and external obstacles we all encounter. It sets the context for productive learning.

Like any tool repeated use increases the chances of flexing people up. It doesn’t work instantly.Our minds want a quick fix but our experience tells us that change happens one behavior at a time.

Slow and steady builds a solid foundation for workable actions.

Applying the Matrix in schools and classrooms invites learners and educators to get involved. It increases curiosity and engagement. Each time a student notices who and what is important to them their internal network of importance expands, allowing unlimited connections to what they encounter. When they notice frustration, anger, or worry showing up rather than struggle with it, they gain valuable perspective-taking skills and the stickiness of the unwanted thoughts and feelings lessens. They notice their actions and increase their ability to be in touch with their all of their internal experiences as they move through the world.

Perspective-taking naturally leads to becoming more effective at what they do. They persist where they had formerly given up. They experience satisfaction where they had previously moved away from feelings of failure and the thought “I can’t”. They also learn that others struggle as well. The urge to help their fellow classmates shows up and they spontaneously reach out to each other, often using the matrix itself to assist classmates and peers. As they experience the fruits of their labors they feel empowered to do more. Over time the matrix process is internalized and students teach each other, replacing less workable behaviors like teasing and arguing.

Educators experience the same results as their students when they engage in the matrix process with them. They learn to let go of the overprescribed control agendas and move toward becoming influencers in the journey of learning and discovery. A natural collaboration evolves and they return to it as often as needed. Psychological flexibility, like any other skill, improves with practice. The more you practice the better you get.

So here is my call to action if you are in the business of learning, teaching or inspiring:

If you get the chance, all you have to do is notice what you are doing as you go through your day. Notice if what you are doing feels like it is working to help you move toward who or what is important to you or if you are doing something to move away from the unwanted stuff that shows up inside of you like confusion or frustration of “I don’t want to”. Notice who or what is important to you and be a little curious about what you do next. This is the beginning of setting up a context for productive learning. What you do next is up to you.