Sandstorm metaphor to illustrate ACT processes

Sandstorm metaphor

Sandstorms are violent wind storms that occur in the desert when high winds lift particles of sand into the air thus unleashing a turbulent and suffocating cloud of sand. They can occur unexpectedly and last for as little as a few minutes or as long as a few months. Regardless of how long they last, the effects can be abrasive and blinding to exposed skin. To survive a sandstorm one therefore has to experience the sandstorm from a different position of having exposed skin covered, and ‘riding’ the storm. A sandstorm can move whole sand dunes, thus changing the landscape. It can therefore be difficult to rely on the landscape to show you which direction to go in. The stars which are constant and remain unchanging can be used instead as a compass for guidance. There is therefore a real danger of getting lost in a whirling wall of sand, as well as the abrasive effects on exposed skin and eyes. To survive a sandstorm, one has to cover exposed skin, and then sit and wait for it to pass whilst experiencing the sights, sounds, smell, taste of the storm, but doing so from a position that allows you to experience it, but not be caught up and exposed in it. Major sandstorms are a natural occurrence – they are part of life in the desert and cannot be avoided.

Difficult life situations/worries/anxieties/fears/problems can be like sandstorms. They are a natural occurrence of life and living. We can sometimes feel as though we are caught in the middle of a sandstorm, lost (moving sand dunes and changing landscapes), and unsure of which direction to move in.
 

The enclosed attachment illustrates two ways of responding when caught in a sandstorm - psychological flexibility and psychological inflexibility, and the different ACT processes within each.