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