Notice the present moment

Contact your surroundings without needing to calm down or close your eyes.

How to use it

Work with a manageable everyday situation. The sequence below is an invitation, not an assessment. You can skip by ending the exercise, correct your wording, or stop at any time.

1. Choose a sight, sound, or contact with a surface as an anchor. External anchors may be easier than inward attention.
2. Notice that anchor briefly. What do you observe?
3. If attention wandered, what was it like to gently return? No particular feeling is required.
4. What would you like to attend to next?

With mira

Open this technique in mira. Review the selection before starting. This scripted exercise can run offline; it makes no AI requests. Your answers are saved on this device in the session's encrypted exercise state. They are not automatically inserted into ordinary AI chat.

Scope and source

An original self-reflection adaptation of ACT principles, not a complete treatment protocol or a clinically validated chatbot intervention. It cannot assess risk. Avoid overwhelming or traumatic material; stop if distressed and consider qualified support. Acceptance never means accepting abuse, danger, or an unwanted situation.

Steven C. Hayes, Kirk D. Strosahl, and Kelly G. Wilson, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: The Process and Practice of Mindful Change, 2nd edition (2012). ACBS: the ACT model.

Executable Pattern Markdown

The same version-1 source is bundled in mira. This view is for inspection; it does not execute automatically.

:language 1
:title "Notice the present moment"
:output outcome
= focus "Contact your surroundings without needing to calm down or close your eyes."
!use therapy.ready as readiness {
    :with focus
}
?branch {
    :when readiness.decision.value == "begin" -> explore
    :when readiness.decision.value == "support" -> support
    :else -> declined
}
explore:
!ask step1 {
    Choose a sight, sound, or contact with a surface as an anchor. External anchors may be easier than inward attention.
}
!ask step2 {
    Notice that anchor briefly. What do you observe?
}
!ask step3 {
    If attention wandered, what was it like to gently return? No particular feeling is required.
}
!ask step4 {
    What would you like to attend to next?
}
!show {
    Your reflection, in your own words:

    1. {{step1}}
    2. {{step2}}
    3. {{step3}}
    4. {{step4}}

    You may leave this here. Nothing needs to feel resolved.
}
= outcome "reflected"
-> end
support:
!show {
    Stop the exercise. If anyone is in immediate danger, contact local emergency services. Reach a trusted person or qualified crisis support if you can. This exercise cannot provide emergency care.
}
= outcome "support_requested"
-> end
declined:
!show {
    We can leave this here. You do not need to explain or finish.
}
= outcome "declined"
-> end