Clarifying Your Values ACT Worksheet

What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a form of psychotherapy that prioritizes embracing and acknowledging negative thoughts, emotions, symptoms, or situations. Individuals acquire the ability to cease evading, negating, and grappling with their internal emotions and understand that these deeper feelings are reasonable responses to specific events and should not prohibit them from progressing in their lives. Armed with this understanding, individuals learn to embrace their hardships and commit to making essential behavioral changes, regardless of their circumstances and feelings.

is an action-oriented form of psychotherapy rooted in classical behavior therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy. It is built upon three central components: the individual’s acceptance of their thoughts and feelings, their relationship with their thoughts and feelings, and their commitment to value-based actions. This promotes a heightened dedication to engaging in positive and meaningful actions that align with one’s values and objectives, helping individuals suffering from anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, psychosis, eating disorders, substance use disorders, and many more.

One of the core components of ACT is clarifying and living by one’s values. Values are the guiding principles that reflect what is truly important and meaningful to an individual. Once individuals clearly understand their values, they can use them as a compass to guide their actions and decisions. When faced with challenges, discomfort, or difficult emotions, individuals can ask themselves how their actions align with their values. This allows them to make choices that harmonize with what matters most, even if they step out of their comfort zone.

By integrating their values into decision-making, ACT empowers individuals to lead a more purposeful and satisfying life.

How to use the Clarifying Your Values ACT Worksheet?

The Clarifying Your Values ACT worksheet is a personal exploration tool that helps individuals identify and clarify their core values. Here is a guide on how to use this tool effectively:

1. Download a copy of the worksheet

Secure a copy of the Clarifying Your Values ACT Worksheet from the Carepatron website. With your copy, familiarize yourself with the purpose and structure of the worksheet.

2. Find a comfortable and quiet place

Find a comfortable and quiet place where you can reflect freely without distractions. Have a pen or pencil ready.

3. Understand the concept of values

Ensure you understand the concept of values in the context of ACT. Values are the principles and qualities that are deeply significant to you. They direct your behaviors and decisions, allowing you to live more meaningfully.

4. Write down your values in different areas of your life

The worksheet covers four life areas: work/education, leisure, personal growth/health, and relationships. Write down your values in each area.

5. Find where you stand today

Part of your worksheet is a “bull’s eye” circle representing four main areas of your life. In the circle, locate where you stand today in each area. Mark it with an “X”. since there are four areas, you will also mark four “Xs”.

6. Reflect on your values

Take a moment to reflect on each value you've chosen. Consider why each value is important to you and how it affects your life.

7. Set goals

Think of actions you can take that align with your values.

8. Commit to these goals

Select at least one action for each value you intend to implement shortly. These acts represent your values and get you closer to living a truly meaningful life.

When would you use this Clarifying Your Values ACT Worksheet?

Professionals and non-professionals can use this tool for personal and professional purposes. Here are some of the key scenarios when it is best to use this tool:

1. Career Transitions: Individuals considering a career change or transition can use the worksheet to identify work, personal growth, and life balance values. This can help them make informed decisions that align with their values, ensuring that their chosen path resonates with their deeper motivations and goals.

2. Relationship Challenges: In times of relationship difficulties, individuals can use the worksheet to pinpoint values related to communication, trust, and emotional connection. This can guide them in addressing conflicts and making choices that prioritize the health and growth of their relationships.

3. Setting Life Goals: When setting personal or life goals, the worksheet can assist individuals in clarifying values associated with health, adventure, family, or other important areas. This ensures that their goals are attainable and deeply meaningful, driving them towards a more fulfilling and purposeful life.

4. Professional Burnout Prevention: Mental health practitioners can use the worksheet to identify values like self-care, work-life balance, and connection. This helps them proactively prevent burnout and maintain their mental well-being.

5. Treatment Planning in Therapy: Mental health professionals can guide clients through the worksheet to help them clarify personal values. This assists in setting meaningful therapeutic goals that align with the client's core values.

6. Supervision and Professional Development: When providing supervision or mentorship, mental health practitioners can use the worksheet to help supervisees or mentees reflect on their values related to ethical practice, growth, and client care.

The Clarifying Your Values ACT Worksheet is a structured tool that helps enhance self-awareness, foster meaningful connections, and make decisions that resonate with their authentic values. It supports both personal well-being and effective professional practice.

What are the benefits of using this Clarifying Your Values ACT Worksheet?

Apart from being free, the Clarifying Your Values ACT worksheet offers several benefits to individuals who utilize it for self-discovery, decision-making, and personal growth. Here are six key advantages of using this worksheet:

1. Enhanced Self-Awareness

The worksheet guides individuals through a reflective process that encourages deep introspection. This leads to a heightened understanding of their core values, enabling them to make choices aligned with their authentic selves.

2. Informed Decision-Making

By identifying and prioritizing values, individuals gain a clear framework for decision-making. They can assess options based on how well they resonate with their values, ensuring that choices align with what truly matters to them.

3. Goal Setting with a Purpose

The worksheet helps users connect their values to concrete actions and goals. This transforms aspirations into specific, purpose-driven objectives, making it more likely that goals will be pursued with dedication and enthusiasm.

4. Stress Reduction

Clarifying values empowers individuals to approach challenges with purpose and resilience. This can reduce stress and emotional turmoil, as individuals are more equipped to navigate difficulties by aligning their responses with their values.

5. Increased Fulfillment

When actions and choices are grounded in personal values, individuals experience greater fulfillment and satisfaction. This aligns their lives with what truly matters, contributing to a more meaningful and purposeful existence.

Incorporating this worksheet into one's personal or professional journey can lead to transformative results. It empowers individuals to live authentically, make deeply resonating decisions, and cultivate a life of purpose and fulfillment.