Values clarification — identifying what matters most to you at the deepest level — is a cornerstone of ACT therapy for body language and provides direction when body language removes other navigational tools.
Why Values Matter for Body Language
Body Language often disconnects us from our values through avoidance, withdrawal, and reduced capacity. Reconnecting with values provides:
- Direction when body language has eliminated other motivation
- Meaning that persists even through difficult body language periods
- A basis for action independent of how body language makes you feel
Clarifying Your Values with Body Language
Ask yourself: 'If my body language 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 Body Language
ACT therapy teaches: act according to values even when body language is present. Small values-aligned actions, despite body language, are more sustainable than waiting for body language to lift first.