In Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), we use the term values to refer to activities that give our lives meaning. Values are not goals in that we never “accomplish” a value. Instead, values are like a compass–they help us make choices based on the directions in which we want our lives to go. Values are who we want to be and what we want our lives to be about. When we connect with our values, we are able move our lives in meaningful directions, even in the face of difficult or painful experiences. Moreover, values are very individual. They are not based around what others expect of us, or what we think we should be doing. We choose our own values.
The links below are not audio files. Instead they will take you to some webpages and posts that give you some guidance on how to identify and articulate your own values:
go to this link and scroll down to pages 11-15 for values worksheets from The Happiness Trap
Return to main Exercises and Audio Files page.