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