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