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