'Not Today, Becky': Could This Reese Witherspoon-Approved Technique Boost Your Mood?

Reese Witherspoon“The wildest piece of advice I’ve received that actually works is – I promise you – name your brain,” influencer Faye Plunkett Pierce shared in an Instagram Reel recently. Admitting it “sounds mental,” Pierce explained that whenever she has a “dark thought,” she tells herself; “Becky [her brain’s ’mane] – not today.” The advice struck a chord with Reese Witherspoon, who commented: “Great advice! Not today Becky!” under the post. But does the advice stack up?We asked licensed therapist and owner of Sagebrush Therapy, Ciara Bogdanovic, what she thinks of the technique. View this post on InstagramA post shared by fayeplunkettpeirce (@fayeplunkettpeirce)It’s a type of “cognitive defusion” Speaking to HuffPost UK, the therapist explained that naming your brain counts as a type of “cognitive defusion.” This is designed to help separate your thoughts from your identity, meaning that you don’t instinctively trust your brain’s more negative utterances so much that you make them your reality. Naming your brain is a “playful and surprisingly effective” form of the technique, which Bogdanovic tells us comes from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). “It helps create distance between you and your thoughts,” the therapist adds.“Instead of saying, ‘I’m a failure,’ you might say, ‘That’s just Becky being dramatic again.’“This shift allows people to observe their thoughts without being ruled by them. It allows us to examine our thoughts without accepting them as truth. It means loosening the grip of unhelpful thought patterns so you can respond with more intention and self-compassion.” Are there any other examples? Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Los Angeles says that naming your brain isn’t the only way to achieve “cognitive defusion.” Other options involve slowing your negative thoughts way down until they sound like distorted, unidentifiable sounds.“By slowing down the thought, you stop struggling not to have it and instead change how you’re thinking it, loosening your attachment to the content,” they share. You can also sing harmful thoughts to the tune of Happy Birthday – the point is not to take your most unhelpful thoughts as a solid fact just because your brain wants you to. If that means naming your brain and blaming it for its foul attitude, hey; therapists seem to agree with Witherspoon in thinking the advice is as good as any.Related...Running Got Me Out Of The Worst Mental Health Dip Of My Life – Here's How I Started From ZeroDr Zoe Williams: We Need New Ways To Ask Black Mums About Their Mental HealthChappell Roan's Grammys Speech Is Already Having A Ripple Effect In The Music Industry

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