Acting based on values involves identifying your personal values and moving about the world with those in mind.
- Romantic relationships – Dating and/or marriage
- Family – Relationships with family members (other than romantic partners)
- Work – Succeeding at work or finances
- Socializing – Spending time with friends
- Education – Finishing school or taking classes
- Spirituality or religion – A sense of connection with something bigger
- Self-care – Taking care of physical and mental health
- Community – Contributing to your community
- Parenting – Promoting and supporting the different goals and pursuits of your children
- Recreation – Hobbies and fun activities in your free time
The loss of a relationship or job can bring up painful emotions. If you have something to focus on that keeps you feeling fulfilled, productive, or happy, these negative emotions don't have to control you.
Everyone has values unique to themselves, and the same person may have different values at different times in their life. For example, while you may value your job now, you may prioritize helping your community a few years from now, or you may want to make self-care your first priority.
This week choose three values that hold personal significance from the previous list. Try the following exercise for each value you chose.
For each of the three values you chose, think about why each is important to you. For example, if you chose work as one of your values, your response could be, "I feel confident and proud when I do well on a presentation at work. Work is goal oriented, and I can measure my successes. This helps keep me focused."
Think of realistic actions you can take to promote this value in your life. Be specific about when and how you would do them. Continuing with the work example, your response could be, "I think reading more about the topic that I'm working on will help me expand my knowledge in this area. Tonight, I will order a book on this topic and set aside time each weekend to read it."
Having a sense of purpose can make depression more manageable. Feeling fulfilled in life, whether at work or in your relationships, and living according to your values can help when depression sets in.
