In Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), workability means asking yourself one simple but powerful question: “Is what I’m doing helping me create the life I want?” In other words, are your actions moving you closer to your values and long-term well-being, or are they keeping you stuck? It’s not about labeling yourself as “good” or “bad,” and it’s not about whether your thoughts are “true” or “false” – it’s about how effective your actions are. For example, you might feel justified in isolating when you’re upset, but does it really help you build the loving relationships you want in the long run? Workability encourages you to look at your habits and coping strategies with a clear, compassionate lens, and decide if they’re helping you create a meaningful life. If they’re not, there’s no moral judgment – just a chance to try something that works better. It’s a gentle reality check that helps you see beyond rationalizations. In stressful situations or when making decisions, thinking in terms of workability helps you focus on what truly matters to you, rather than seeking short-term relief that could cause more pain later.

The concept of workability comes from ACT, developed by Dr. Steven C. Hayes. ACT emphasizes living according to your values and being flexible in how you approach life – adjusting your behavior based on what the situation needs for you to thrive. “Workability” is a key question in ACT: instead of labeling thoughts as “irrational” (like traditional CBT might) or behaviors as “bad,” ACT asks, “How’s that working for you?” This approach is rooted in pragmatism (an American philosophical tradition) and also echoes Eastern wisdom. For example, the Buddha advised to assess practices by their results (do they lead to less suffering?). In everyday life, this might look like realizing, “Going out drinking when I’m stressed felt like a solution, but is it actually helping me feel better in the long run? Probably not.” Workability is about moments like that. It’s especially helpful when we’re caught up in justifying a behavior, like “I withdraw because people hurt me.” While that might make sense, is it actually helping you connect and find happiness? If not, ACT encourages you to try something different, even if your mind is telling you “But I’m right!” It shifts the focus from right vs. wrong to helpful vs. unhelpful. In short, workability helps you align your actions with what really matters and what works. If a coping strategy or belief isn’t serving you, it might be time to let it go, no matter how comfortable it feels. And if trying something new, like attending a support group, feels uncomfortable but ultimately improves your life, it’s worth the effort.

Steps to Identify and Change Unworkable Behaviors

• Identify the Behavior or Pattern: Start by picking something you do (or think) that you’re not sure about. It could be a behavior like avoiding tasks, overeating, or lashing out in anger, or a thought pattern like “I must be perfect” or being overly self-critical. It might also be a relationship pattern. For example, “Whenever I feel anxious, I cancel plans at the last minute.”
• Ask “What are the Results?”: Take an honest look at how this behavior affects you, both in the short term and the long term. In the short term, canceling plans might give you some relief from anxiety (stress avoided). But in the long run, you might end up feeling lonely, guilty, and watch your friendships fade. It might be helpful to jot down the pros and cons. Does this behavior help you move closer to the life you want, or is it keeping you stuck? Be specific: “By avoiding outings, I’m missing chances to connect with others (which I really value), and I’m reinforcing the belief that I can’t handle anxiety.” Sometimes a behavior works for a bit (immediate relief) but creates bigger problems down the road. Notice that distinction.
• Clarify Your Values: Think about what really matters to you in this situation. In ACT terms, what are your values? (Values are what you care about deeply in life – the things you want to focus on or create for yourself.) For example, a value might be friendship, bravery, or personal growth. This step is important because “workability” is all about aligning your actions with your values. If isolating yourself “feels safe” but goes against your value of connection, then it’s not workable in the long term. So, list a few key values like: “I value being a supportive friend” or “I value my health” or “I want to be authentic.” These values act as your compass.
• Decide if It’s Workable or Not: Based on the results and your values, decide if the behavior is helpful (workable) or not (unworkable). Sometimes it’s a mix – partially working, partially not. That’s okay. The goal is insight. If you see that something isn’t really helping you, accept that without blaming yourself. For example, “Canceling plans isn’t working to improve my life; it’s keeping me stuck. I understand why I do it (to avoid anxiety), but ultimately it’s unworkable because it leaves me unhappy.” This realization can be really eye-opening. You shift from “I’m a failure for doing this” to “This action just isn’t helping me get what I truly want.”
• Brainstorm a More Workable Alternative: Now, think about what you could do instead that might better align with your values and lead to better long-term results. If one strategy isn’t working, what’s a small step you can take in a different direction? For example, instead of canceling plans entirely, maybe you could tell your friend you’re anxious but still want to see them, or go but give yourself permission to leave early if you feel overwhelmed. Another option might be to practice a coping skill before going. The goal is to find a more effective behavior that helps you get what you want (like connection or confidence), even if it feels a bit uncomfortable at first. In ACT, this is called “committed action” – doing the harder thing that lines up with your values. Think of a few possible alternatives. It helps to solve the problem out loud: “My goal is to keep plans and manage anxiety. Workable option: tell my friend I’m anxious but want to see them, maybe pick a quiet place to meet. That way, I’m honoring friendship and still taking care of myself.”
• Test It Out: Now, try your new, more workable behavior and see what happens. Don’t expect perfection – it’s a learning experience. Maybe you meet your friend, feel anxious, but also proud. The friendship grows, and you realize that you didn’t die from the anxiety. That’s evidence of workability. Or if it doesn’t go as planned, adjust and try a different approach next time. The important part is that you’re experimenting: “Let’s see if this works better.” Keep what works, and leave what doesn’t.
• Use Workability in Moment-to-Moment Choices: When things get heated, take a moment and ask yourself, “If I do what I’m feeling like doing (yell, run away, etc.), will that work long-term? What would work better in this situation?” This can help you break the automatic responses we often fall into. For example, in an argument with your partner, you might feel like being cruel to win. But if you pause and check for workability, your value of a loving relationship will remind you that being cruel probably isn’t the best move – it might win the argument but harm the relationship. A more workable choice might be to take a break or express your hurt without insulting them. This quick check (“Is this going to work, or make things worse?”) can guide you toward better decisions.
• Practice Self-Compassion: Often, when we realize many of our old behaviors aren’t working (that’s why we’re trying to change them), it can feel discouraging. But it’s really important to be kind to yourself. Those behaviors likely helped you in some way, even if they’re no longer useful. Workability isn’t about shaming your past self; it’s about empowering the present you. So instead of thinking, “Ugh, I’ve wasted so much time with this unworkable habit,” try reframing it to “I’m proud of myself for learning a better way now.” Treat yourself like a friend who’s figuring out what really helps them.

Example Scenario

Nina values her health and family, but when stress hits, she often finds herself reaching for a cigarette, even though she promised her kids she’d quit. She pauses to check workability: Smoking does give her a quick sense of relief, but only short-term. In the long run, it harms her health—she gets winded easily and worries about setting a bad example for her kids. Smoking goes against her value of health and being there for her family in the future. So, she realizes smoking isn’t a very workable solution when she looks at the bigger picture.

Nina starts thinking of healthier alternatives to cope with stress. She could take a short walk, try deep breathing, or call a friend. These options might not provide the instant relief that nicotine does, but they align better with her values of health and being there for her family. Nina decides to try sipping water and practicing breathing exercises when work gets overwhelming, instead of reaching for a cigarette. It’s tough at first—her mind says, “This won’t work like a smoke,” but she reminds herself that cigarettes are a dead-end and gives the new strategy a go for a week.

At first, Nina feels a bit more stressed, but she feels proud when she tells her kids she hasn’t smoked. Over time, the breathing exercises and short walks actually start helping her feel better (and she even smells better and coughs less—bonus!). Through workability, Nina shifted from a habit that didn’t align with her values to one that’s not as easy but ultimately helps her live the life she wants. When she slips and smokes once, she doesn’t beat herself up. Instead, she reaffirms why smoking doesn’t work for her and gets back on track.

Resources

Website: “SMART Recovery Toolbox“. Although from addiction recovery context, SMART uses a lot of cognitive-behavioral tools including a Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) of behaviors (similar to workability check). Their free worksheets let you analyze a habit’s pros/cons, helping you see if it truly works for you and to plan healthier coping methods.

Book: ACT Made Simple by Russ Harris (2009). A friendly book on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy that covers the concept of workability and has exercises to apply it to your own thoughts and behaviors.

Article: “Workability Worksheet” by Contextual Consulting. This worksheet guides individuals through evaluating their thoughts and behaviors based on their effectiveness in achieving a meaningful life.

Podcast: “Dr. Russ Harris | ACT: Past, Present, and Future” by Mentally Flexible (2021). In this episode, Dr. Russ Harris discusses the evolution of ACT, touching upon its core principles, including workability, and how they apply to personal and professional growth.

Podcast: “E126. Is Your Lifestyle Working for You? The Concept of Workability” by Sasha High with High on Life Podcast (2024). Dr. Sasha High explores how the ACT concept of workability can be applied to lifestyle and health habits, emphasizing the importance of aligning actions with personal values.

Video: “Workability – Acceptance and Commitment Therapy” by ACT Find Your Path (2022). This animated video introduces the concept of workability in ACT, illustrating how evaluating the effectiveness of behaviors can lead to more meaningful living.

Video: “An ACT Metaphor: Workability of Thoughts” by Nesh Nikolic (2013). This video uses metaphors to explain the ACT principle of workability, helping viewers understand how to assess the usefulness of their thoughts and behaviors.

Video: “Noticing Workability” by Dr. Kevin Polk (2015). Dr. Kevin Polk discusses the importance of noticing the workability of thoughts and behaviors in ACT, providing insights into how this awareness can lead to positive change.

Article: “Workability: Beyond True or False” by Jiovann Carrasco, MA, LPC-S with GoodTherapy (2011). This article explores the concept of workability in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), illustrating how behaviors are assessed based on their effectiveness in helping individuals live a meaningful life, rather than their truthfulness.