Values clarification — identifying what matters most to you at the deepest level — is a cornerstone of ACT therapy for anxiety and provides direction when anxiety removes other navigational tools.
Why Values Matter for Anxiety
Anxiety often disconnects us from our values through avoidance, withdrawal, and reduced capacity. Reconnecting with values provides:
- Direction when anxiety has eliminated other motivation
- Meaning that persists even through difficult anxiety periods
- A basis for action independent of how anxiety makes you feel
Clarifying Your Values with Anxiety
Ask yourself: 'If my anxiety were less present, what would I be doing more of? What kind of person would I be?'
Values are not goals (achievable and done) but ongoing directions: being a present parent, creating beauty, contributing to others.
Values-Based Action in Anxiety
ACT therapy teaches: act according to values even when anxiety is present. Small values-aligned actions, despite anxiety, are more sustainable than waiting for anxiety to lift first.