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