How to Stop Fighting Intrusive or Negative Thoughts-Passengers on a Bus Exercise from ACT

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May 19, 2025

Dive into the world of intrusive thoughts and learn to manage them with a powerful metaphor. Picture your mind as a bus, where negative thoughts are merely passengers—not the drivers. Discover how focusing on your core values can help you regain control and navigate life's challenges. This enlightening discussion emphasizes that you are not your thoughts and provides practical tips on how to keep your mental peace while steering your life in the right direction.

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INSIGHT

Thoughts as Bus Passengers

Negative and intrusive thoughts often feel overwhelming and stop us from moving forward in life.
These thoughts act like passengers on our mental bus, influencing emotions and memories.

ANECDOTE

Social Anxiety Example: Sarah

Sarah struggles with social anxiety and fears embarrassment at social events.
Avoiding events led to isolation and regret, fueled by negative bus passengers.

INSIGHT

Fighting Thoughts Backfires

Arguing with intrusive thoughts only makes them louder and distracts us from our goals.
Fighting thoughts is as harmful as blindly listening to them.

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Intrusive Thoughts, Overthinking, ACT, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Passengers on the Bus, Negative Thoughts

Have you ever felt like your negative thoughts are running the show? Like no matter how hard you try to push them away, they keep coming back, louder than ever? Maybe you deal with intrusive thoughts that feel terrifying, or you constantly overthink every decision. These thoughts can feel really overwhelming and they can seem to stop you from moving forward in life, from being happy, doing your work, or building relationships. If that sounds like you, then let me teach you an exercise that can help you break free from struggling with intrusive thoughts or overthinking. It’s called the Passengers on the Bus metaphor from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). This metaphor was developed by Dr. Steven Hayes, the founder of ACT, and it offers a simple but powerful shift: You are not your thoughts—you are the driver of your life.

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Therapy in a Nutshell and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health. In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger Institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction.

And deeper than all of that, the Gospel of Jesus Christ orients my personal worldview and sense of security, peace, hope, and love https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/believe

If you are in crisis, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or your local emergency services.