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