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