The Sushi Train
Have you ever noticed how many thoughts you have a day? Some research says we have over 60,000! Now, there’s no way we pay attention to every thought that happens daily - otherwise, we wouldn’t get anything done. So, how do we decide which thoughts to attend to? Often times, we pay attention to the thoughts that are really appealing, as well as really unappealing thoughts. In Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), we can learn how to notice and observe all thoughts that come through instead of letting our awareness only focus on certain types of thoughts. This can help us live a life more aligned with our values. If we are able to let all thoughts come and go, we can pay attention and bring awareness to only the ones that are helpful or important to us.
Metaphors go beyond literary techniques; they're powerful tools in therapy. They help people see things in new ways, changing our reality through non-literal language. So let’s try one!
The Sushi Train Metaphor
Imagine stepping into a bustling sushi train restaurant. As you settle into your seat, you notice the conveyor belt snaking its way around the room, carrying a variety of sushi plates. You see a chef in the middle of the restaurant, creating and placing dishes onto the conveyor belt. The chef is like your mind, the sushi dishes are like your thoughts, images, and memories, and you sitting there in the restaurant is like your awareness. Some plates are familiar and comforting, like your favorite sushi rolls (mmm)—these might be pleasant thoughts or memories. Others are less appealing, like the wasabi-laden pieces that are way too spicy for your liking or even upsetting, like a whole eel curled up on a plate (we understand that some people love eel, so think of your own!). Some plates are neutral, ones you could take or leave, like a plain bowl of rice.
This is similar to our thoughts and feelings that occur throughout the day - some are really appealing (“I worked so hard studying for my test”), some are really unappealing (“school is way too hard”), and some are pretty neutral “(the sun is out”). At first, you probably find yourself eagerly reaching for the plates you like and avoiding the ones you don’t. You might start to judge the plates—labeling some as "good" and others as "bad." When an appealing dish comes up, you grab it and stack it next to you. And when an unappealing plate goes by, you might also grab it, just to get rid of it and throw it in the trash!
What would it be like to step back and watch the thoughts coming and going on the sushi train? If an unpleasant dish comes by, we wouldn’t have to grab it to throw it away or react with disgust. Instead, we can set it back on the sushi train and let it continue on. And if a really nice dish comes by, we also don’t have to reach quickly to grab it and eat it. We can learn to let all thoughts - helpful, unhelpful, or neutral - pass by us as we observe them going by without judgment. We start to notice that every plate, whether appealing or not, is simply passing by on the conveyor belt.
While we cannot control the plates our mind is setting onto the sushi train, we can control how we respond to them—choosing the ones that nourish us and letting the ones that don’t serve us continue on their path. Even if they keep popping up in front of us, we can decide whether we want to bring them in front of us or not.
Authored by Mind Chicago therapist Emma Healy, LCSW
