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