Name Your Mind
Create distance from mental noise before deciding whether to act
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 98%
Amen describes naming the mind as a way to create psychological distance from its noise. Once the mind has a separate name, a person can hear a thought as something the mind produced rather than as identity, truth, or an instruction. Amen calls his mind Hermie after a mischievous pet raccoon and imagines comforting or containing it when it generates catastrophic scenarios. He then applies a filter: is the thought true, helpful, and consistent with the person's goals? The method is not about eliminating thoughts or proving that distress is trivial. It creates a pause in which the prefrontal evaluation Amen describes can accept, redirect, or decline the thought before behavior follows.
Origin
Amen says he learned the psychological-distance idea from Steven Hayes and named his own mind Hermie after a mischievous pet raccoon.
Core principles
- 01A thought is an event, not an instruction
- 02Naming the mind creates psychological distance
- 03Mental content can be accepted or rejected
- 04Helpful and goal-aligned thoughts deserve more attention
- 05Distance should support evaluation rather than suppression
How to run it
- 1
Choose a name
Give the mind a memorable name that makes its commentary easier to recognize. Keep the name playful rather than contemptuous.
Pro tip Choose a name you can use privately in a tense moment.
Watch out The exercise is metaphorical and does not imply separate identities.
- 2
Notice the message
When mental noise appears, state what the named mind is saying. Preserve the thought without immediately arguing with or obeying it.
Pro tip Use a short sentence: “My mind is telling me...”
Watch out Do not use distance to ignore genuine danger or important evidence.
- 3
Create distance
Remind yourself that having a thought does not make it true, helpful, or part of your character. Let the thought exist without turning it into action.
Pro tip Picture the named mind beside you rather than in control of you.
Watch out Distressing intrusive thoughts can require professional assessment.
- 4
Evaluate the thought
Ask whether the thought fits the evidence and your goals. Decide whether it deserves pursuit, redirection, or no action.
Pro tip Separate the thought's emotional intensity from its evidential strength.
Watch out Do not turn the evaluation into compulsive reassurance seeking.
- 5
Respond deliberately
Choose the behavior that best fits reality and your stated aims. Offer reassurance to the named mind if that helps, then return attention to the present task.
Pro tip Practise with low-stakes thoughts before using it under pressure.
Watch out Seek urgent help if thoughts involve immediate risk to yourself or others.
In the wild
When Hermie generates a scenario about death, Amen imagines comforting the raccoon and answers that death is real but not happening today. The metaphor lets him return to the present rather than treating the prediction as an immediate command.
→ The thought is acknowledged and evaluated without controlling the next action.
Common mistakes
Trying to suppress every thought
The method creates distance for evaluation; it does not require thoughts to disappear.
Treating feelings as proof
A thought can feel urgent without being accurate or useful.
Dismissing genuine warning signs
Psychological distance should not override evidence, safety, or clinical care.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for ordinary worry, unhelpful self-talk, and thoughts that feel compelling despite weak evidence.
Not ideal for
It is not a substitute for professional care for intrusive thoughts, trauma, psychosis, self-harm risk, or severe impairment.
From the transcript
“Psychological distance from the noise in your head.”
“just because you have a thought has nothing to do with whether or not it's true”
From the episode
Doctor & Therapist To The Worlds Superstars: Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus & Bella Hadid!: Dr Amen