What is it : Values
Personal values are beliefs and principles that guide an individual’s actions, decisions, and priorities. They reflect what is important and meaningful to a person and influence their behaviour and relationships.
Values can be shaped by a variety of factors, including cultural background, family, education, and life experiences. Some common personal values include honesty, responsibility, kindness, respect, and fairness.
Common Signs : Values
Values play an important role in shaping an individual’s identity and worldview, and they have a significant impact on career choices and life satisfaction. When individuals are aligned with their values, they are more likely to experience a sense of purpose and fulfilment in their work and personal lives.
Values can also help in overcoming challenges and navigating changes, as they provide a sense of direction.
As with other issues that impact our emotional and mental wellbeing, having a clear understanding of your values shows itself most obviously where it is absent.
Making choices or managing change without a clear understanding of one’s personal values can lead to a range of negative feelings and impacts. You might recognise some of these:
- Confusion: Without a clear understanding of what is important and meaningful, it can be difficult to make decisions and set goals that are aligned with one’s values. This can lead to feelings of confusion and uncertainty
- Lack of direction: When values are not clear, it’s difficult to have a clear sense of direction and purpose in life. This can result in a feeling of aimlessness and a lack of motivation
- Inauthenticity: Making decisions that are not aligned with one’s values can lead to a sense of inauthenticity and discomfort. This can result in low self-esteem and a lack of satisfaction with life and work
- Stress: When values are not clear, it’s easy to get caught up in other people’s expectations or societal norms. This can lead to stress and a feeling of being pulled in multiple directions
- Regret: Making choices that are not aligned with one’s values can lead to feelings of regret and dissatisfaction. This can result in a feeling of being stuck in a situation that is not fulfilling or meaningful
- Unhappiness: Without a clear understanding of values, it’s difficult to find happiness and satisfaction in life and work. This can lead to feelings of boredom, frustration, and unhappiness
- Relationships: difficulty connecting with others, feeling lonely or disconnected, difficulty maintaining healthy boundaries
- Work: feeling unengaged or uninspired by your job, constantly seeking new opportunities, feeling unappreciated or undervalued
Tackling it : Values
Having a clear understanding of one’s personal values is important for making informed and authentic decisions and navigating change with confidence and clarity.
It can help individuals stay focused on what is important and meaningful to them, and reduce the negative feelings and impact associated with making choices and managing change.
The starting point is stripping back what makes you tick. This is challenging but game changing work. We can’t do it alone because every human being suffers from blind spots regarding their motives and opinions. That’s where we can help.
Here are some of the ways we can support you to understand your core values, live in line with them and gain the benefits of doing so:
- Self-exploration: Both therapy and coaching provide an opportunity to explore beliefs, experiences, and priorities in a safe and supportive environment. This helps identify core values
- Reflection and introspection: Therapy or coaching can help reflect on past experiences and choices, thoughts and feelings. This can provide insight into core values
- Clarity and focus: Therapy and coaching can help gain clarity and focus on the values most important to them. This can lead to a greater sense of direction and purpose
- Alignment with life goals: Coaching can help align values with life goals and aspirations. This leads to greater motivation and satisfaction in both personal and professional life
- Decision-making skills: Both therapy and coaching can help develop decision-making skills that are consistent with core values. This can result in more fulfilling and meaningful choices
- Emotional regulation: Therapy can help develop emotional regulation skills needed to handle challenges that arise when striving to live in line with core values
- Long-term benefits: Understanding and living in line with core values can lead to greater happiness, well-being, and success in the long-term. Aligning often results in improved relationships, increased job satisfaction, and a sense of fulfilment.