Books / Cognitive & behavioural
Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life: The New Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
A 2005 self-help workbook by Steven C. Hayes with Spencer Smith introducing ideas and exercises associated with acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT).
Book details
Author of listed edition: Steven C. Hayes and Spencer Smith
Edition: 1st edition (2005)
Publisher: New Harbinger Publications
Edition year: 2005
Language and origin: English (United States)
Form and genre: Self-Help & Client Workbook
Level: Introductory
Historical era: 1980–2009 · Evidence-Based, Trauma & Integrative Era
Covers: Acceptance and psychological flexibility; Thoughts and cognitive defusion; Values and committed action
APA 7th reference: Hayes, S. C., & Smith, S. (2005). Get out of your mind and into your life: The new acceptance and commitment therapy. New Harbinger Publications.
What it is
First published in 2005, this self-help workbook introduces ideas associated with acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). It is intended for general readers and may also be used alongside professional support.
What it covers
The authors discuss ways of relating to difficult thoughts and emotions, acceptance, psychological flexibility and actions connected to personal values. These are ideas and exercises in the approach, not a claim that avoidance explains every person’s distress.
Related research
A 2011 randomised study compared an ACT self-help book in Japanese with a waitlist among 70 Japanese international students in the United States. Participants receiving the book reported better general mental health in that study. A 2012 study compared an ACT self-help volume with a waitlist among 236 school personnel. The accessible abstracts do not identify the books by title, so this entry does not assume they tested this exact edition. Results from these groups and comparisons cannot predict an individual reader’s outcome.
Reading level and limits
The catalogue lists this as an introductory self-help workbook. Research on ACT or on other self-help books does not by itself establish this edition’s effectiveness. This entry is educational and does not offer a diagnosis or individual treatment recommendation.
Paired academic and clinical scholarship
Paired work: The Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Bibliotherapy for Enhancing the Psychological Health of Japanese College Students Living Abroad (Takashi Muto, Steven C. Hayes, and Tami Jeffcoat, 2011)
Reference: Muto, T., Hayes, S. C., & Jeffcoat, T. (2011). The effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy bibliotherapy for enhancing the psychological health of Japanese college students living abroad. Behavior Therapy, 42(2), 323–335.
A randomised study of 70 Japanese international students compared an ACT self-help book in Japanese with a waitlist. It reported improved general mental health in that sample. The abstract does not identify the book title; the full intervention text was not reviewed.
Source-mapped claims and evidence notes
Claim 1: The workbook introduces readers to acceptance and commitment therapy and exercises concerning thoughts, emotions and values. (The publisher describes the 2025 anniversary edition; the 2005 full text was not reviewed for this entry.) [Source 1: New Harbinger Publications. Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life: 20th Anniversary Edition.]
Claim 2: A study of Japanese international students compared an ACT self-help book with a waitlist and reported differences in mental health outcomes. (The abstract reports 70 participants and a Japanese translation but does not name the workbook. Findings from this sample do not establish that a workbook is suitable or effective for everyone.) [Source 2: Muto, T., Hayes, S. C., & Jeffcoat, T. (2011). The effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy bibliotherapy for enhancing the psychological health of Japanese college students living abroad. Behavior Therapy, 42(2), 323–335.]
Sources and inspection notes
New Harbinger Publications. Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life: 20th Anniversary Edition.
Supports: Publisher description of the 2025 anniversary edition and its ACT themes; the first edition was not reviewed in full.
Supports: Abstract describes 70 Japanese international students, an ACT self-help book translated into Japanese and a waitlist comparison; the abstract does not name the book.
Supports: Abstract describes 236 school personnel, an ACT self-help volume and a waitlist comparison; the abstract does not name the book.
Supports: Library catalogue identifies the 2005 publication, author and contributor, publisher and ISBN. The publisher’s original edition record was not verified.