Accept You will have trouble investing in your values if you have not accepted them. People often have trouble accepting the less aspirational values. Expectations from the back shout, "this is what a person should value". Disregard the sense that this is a moral test. Values are not right or wrong, they are personalized and about meaning. Review the values list and look for the less-glamourous values. For example, consider the value of being "comfortable". While valuing comfort may not carry the notoriety like "family" or "trust" you might be surprised how often you respond to it. You might be surprised the meaning comfort brings to you. Journal Prompt: I have difficulty accepting...
Tag: Depression
Finding your Values, 4
Trial. If you are unsure about your values, trial them. Choose a value that you believe to be important to you and put it up against a normal day. Does energy go toward trying to include the value? Do you respond if the value is not apart of your day? If not, allow for change. Trial the next. Journal Prompt: I have put energy today toward...
Finding your Values, 3
Work Part of engaging in work full-heartedly, is finding work that allows the practice of some of your values. For some, meaning in work is found through structure and predictability. For others, work needs challenge and novelty. Still others, will mine for the perfect version of balance. Structure, predictability, challenge, and novelty, these are all values. Journal Prompt: How do you respond to these values at work? List of values for your reference.
Finding your Values, 2
Relationships. Track your movement. What brings you close and pushes you away? In your relationships, you respond to what is important to you–your values. Stability? Accessibility? Novelty? Journal Prompt: Which values create movement in your relationships? List of values for your reference.
Finding your Values, 1
Respond. You respond to values. You respond to the extent to which they are active in your life or inactive. If you value nature and spend your days inside, it would be easy to understand if you felt depressed. If you value authenticity and you often suppress who you are, also, it would be easy to understand if you felt depressed. If you value adventure and you spend most days behind a desk in a cubicle, it would be normal to experience anxious attempts to get somewhere else. If you value order but you are surrounded by constant chaos, it would be normal to experience pressure to order the chaos. You naturally respond to values. Journal Prompt: Which values do you respond to and how? List of values for your reference.
Not Depressed, Heart Broken
What if you considered your depressive symptoms as heart broken?
Simplify: Journal Prompt 15
Resentment. You have limits of who you can be and what you can do. When you are pushed beyond those limits, you become resentful—you feel the experience is unfair or that you have been mistreated. Simplify by knowing and respecting your limits. Decide whether you tend to abide by your limits or attempt to overextend … Continue reading Simplify: Journal Prompt 15
Simplify: Journal Prompt 14
I am also aware that forgiveness needs time, and it might not be the right time for you. If you are not in a place to forgive, set boundaries so you are not regularly triggered.
Simplify: Journal Prompt 10
Anxious attempting to obtain connection to your values. Depressed when values are absent from your life.
Simplify: Journal Prompt 9
While you cannot ensure your expectations are met, you can do 100% of your part. You can assert yourself and communicate—clearly and specifically—your expectations.