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