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