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