22/04/2026
Willingness is a concept used in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
What is ACT?
ACT is a supported behavioral approach that utilises acceptance, behavioral strategies & mindfulness techniques. This can be helpful to integrate into your coping skills.
Willingness can be described as: Suffering = Anxiety + Non-Acceptance
Willingness is:
• Being open to your own experience as it is
• Directly
• Without changing it
• Trying to manipulate it
• Avoid it
• Escape it
Willingness does NOT mean:
• We like it
• We want it
• We approve it
Willingness is an action and has an all or nothing quality to it, it is a choice. We can sometimes confuse willingness for a feeling. But, we do not have to feel willing to be willing. We can often mistake willingness for tolerance.
Tolerance implies that negative experiences are to be withstood until something better comes along. Being honest, when you tolerate something, you normally aren’t a fan?
Willingness on the other hand involves openness and allowing, not as waiting, or needing for something to change to a better thing if we are tolerant enough.
Willingness is not loss or resignation, as the word "acceptance" can sometimes imply. You are not failing by being willing or accepting.
Please feel free to try it out........
