We all think. Constantly. Endlessly. Relentlessly. And while our thoughts can be helpful, motivating, and insightfu and much more. They can also feel intrusive, overwhelming, or downright exhausting.
One of the most powerful ways to change your relationship with your thoughts is surprisingly simple: metaphors.
Therapeutic metaphors have been used for centuries across cultures and religions because they help us see differently. They allow us to step back, gain perspective, and create distance from the noise in our minds. When we see thoughts for what they truly are – mental events, not commands – we become free to choose our responses with more clarity and wisdom.
Below is a collection of rich, memorable metaphors used in Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), CBT, and mindfulness-based approaches. Each one offers a new window into how your mind works and how you can relate to your thoughts more compassionately and effectively.
- The playground bully
Your mind is like a fenced schoolyard. Some thoughts act like bullies. You can:
Believe them (and be distressed)
Argue with them (and they may eventually back down)
Or notice them and walk away, focusing on something else
This is the beginning of choice.
- Passengers on the bus
Imagine you’re the driver of a bus. Your passengers – your thoughts – shout directions, insults, fears, and criticisms.
You can’t throw them off the bus, but you can keep your attention on the road ahead, steering toward your values rather than their noise.
- The river
Distressing experiences can feel like being swept away downstream.
But imagine stepping onto the riverbank – observing thoughts, feelings, and sensations float by.
You don’t have to jump in every time the current pulls.
- The beach ball
Trying to push thoughts down is like holding a beach ball underwater.
It keeps popping back up.
Instead of wrestling, let it float.
Let thoughts be there without fighting.
- The thought train
Thoughts are trains passing through a station.
You don’t have to jump onto every train – especially not the ones heading somewhere painful.
You can wait for the train that takes you where you want to go.
- The tunnel
When anxiety hits, it’s tempting to turn around.
But in a tunnel, the only way out is through.
The feeling will ease. You will reach the other side.
- The mountain
A mountain stands firm in all weather.
Wind, rain, sunshine – everything comes and goes.
We can cultivate the same inner stillness, watching thoughts pass like weather across our surface.
- The mind monsters (or the bad wolf and good wolf)
Unhelpful thoughts are like hungry monsters. They feed on your reactions – your fear, your fighting, your resistance.
Starve them by not engaging.
Feed your Good Wolf – your strengths, values, and grounded presence.
- Google earth & the from-above-view
Sometimes we’re too close to a problem to see clearly.
Zoom out.
See the bigger picture.
Gain altitude, context, and perspective.
- Foreground & background
Like a camera lens, your attention can zoom in or out.
What you place in the foreground feels biggest.
You can choose what stays sharp and what fades into the background.
- The traffic accident
Different witnesses offer different viewpoints.
The same is true for any situation in life.
Getting multiple perspectives opens the door to understanding and flexibility.
- The quicksand
When stuck in quicksand, struggling makes you sink faster.
The way out?
Lie back.
Make contact with the discomfort instead of fighting it.
Acceptance creates the space to move again.
- The unhelpful parrot
Your inner critic is like a trained parrot that recites unhelpful lines.
You wouldn’t take abuse from a bird – so why take it from your mind?
Throw a towel over the cage. Let its voice fade.
- Tug of war with a monster
You’re in a tug of war with anxiety, depression, or fear.
Between you is a bottomless pit.
Pulling harder only pulls you closer to the edge.
Drop the rope.
The monster is still there – but you’re free.
- Struggling uphill in top gear
Life sometimes asks us to shift down a gear.
Slower doesn’t mean weaker – it means wiser, more sustainable progress.
- Opening a new browser window
Your mind is like a browser in default mode, pulling up old tabs – old memories, old fears, old stories.
You can open a new window, choose a new focus, or simply view a blank page.
- The mind as a master storyteller
Your mind generates stories – some factual, many fictional.
You can listen without obeying.
- The walk of life
Looking only behind you (the past) or only far ahead (the future) makes you stumble.
Life invites us to walk with awareness of all three – but grounded primarily in the present step.
- Life is like a meal
Your “ingredients” (experiences) vary, but the outcome depends on how you mix and bake them.
Skill matters more than circumstances.
- The newspaper headline
Your mind writes dramatic headlines.
But just like a newspaper, it has a bias.
You don’t have to believe everything it prints.
- The weather
Thoughts and feelings are like weather – passing systems we can’t control.
Instead of fighting storms, we can shelter, adapt, wait, and watch them pass.
- Online shopping
Not every thought deserves to be added to your basket.
Ask: Is this helpful? Necessary? Worth my energy? You can leave unwanted thoughts on the shelf.
Why these metaphors matter
Each metaphor teaches the same essential truth:
You are not your thoughts.
You can choose how to relate to them.
And that choice changes everything.
When you learn to observe rather than obey your mind, you unlock freedom, clarity, and resilience. This is the heart of meaningful personal change.
Want support applying these ideas?
If these metaphors resonate but feel difficult to apply on your own, that’s completely normal. Most people need guidance, practice, and compassion to change long-held patterns. I offer mentoring and consulting, helping individuals:
- understand their inner narratives
- develop healthier relationships with thoughts and emotions
- reconnect with their values
- build resilience using ACT, CBT-informed tools, and narrative approaches
- navigate life transitions with clarity and confidence
If you’re ready for thoughtful, personalised support, you can explore my services by booking a first consultation.
And if you’d like to see what this work looks like in practice, I’ve written a separate post sharing a real-world example: Read about Lara’s journey here.