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