2.8 Aligning Your Behaviors with Your Values to Improve Your Wellbeing
Examining Your Values
One approach to improving your overall wellbeing is to work toward aligning your behaviors with your values. Values are based on fundamental beliefs about one’s self and life in general. While goals and priorities might shift over time, values tend to be stable even through changing circumstances. Decisions and behaviors are ideally guided by a person’s values. It is possible that things you want to do conflict with personal values or do not align. For example, a person might value health and wellbeing, but needs to prioritize earning money for their family or to pay for school, requiring them to work longer hours, leaving less time for the health behaviors associated with wellbeing.
What do you value most? Let’s start with a few questions:
- Think about a time you felt most happy. What contributed to this?
- Think about a time you felt proud of yourself. Why did you feel proud and what led you there?
- Think about a time you felt content. What factors contributed to this?
In addition to reflecting on these questions, you might also look through lists of values to identify which are most important to you. Using the items you select, you can consider what is most important to you and identify the ways in which your current behaviors either do or do not align with your values and whether or not they are helping or hindering your ability to maintain balance across the dimensions of wellbeing.
Your Core Values
Review the list of values following this question. Which fall into your top ten?
| ACCEPTANCE: to be accepted as I am
ACCURACY: to be accurate in my opinions and beliefs ACHIEVEMENT: to have important accomplishments ADVENTURE: to have new and exciting experiences ATTRACTIVENESS: to be physically attractive AUTHORITY: to be in charge of and responsible for others AUTONOMY: to be self-determined and independent BEAUTY: to appreciate beauty around me CARING: to take care of others CHALLENGE: to take on difficult tasks and problems CHANGE: to have a life full of change and variety COMFORT: to have a pleasant and comfortable life COMMITMENT: to make enduring, meaningful commitments COMPASSION: to feel and act on concern for others CONTRIBUTION: to make a lasting contribution in the world COOPERATION: to work collaboratively with others COURTESY: to be considerate and polite toward others CREATIVITY: to have new and original ideas DEPENDABILITY: to be reliable and trustworthy DUTY: to carry out my duties and obligations ECOLOGY: to live in harmony with the environment EXCITEMENT: to have a life full of thrills and stimulation FAITHFULNESS: to be loyal and true in relationships FAME: to be known and recognized FAMILY: to have a happy, loving family FITNESS: to be physically fit and strong FLEXIBILITY: to adjust to new circumstances easily FORGIVENESS: to be forgiving of others FRIENDSHIP: to have close, supportive friends FUN: to play and have fun GENEROSITY: to give what I have to others GENUINENESS: to act in a manner that is true to who I am GOD’S WILL: to see and obey the will of God GROWTH: to keep changing and growing HEALTH: to be physically well and healthy HELPFULNESS: to be helpful to others HONESTY: to be honest and truthful HOPE: to maintain a positive and optimistic outlook HUMILITY: to be modest and unassuming HUMOR: to see the humorous side of myself and the world INDEPENDENCE: to be free from dependence on others INDUSTRY: to work hard and well at my life tasks INNER PEACE: to experience personal peace INTIMACY: to share my innermost experiences with others JUSTICE: to promote fair and equal treatment for all KNOWLEDGE: to learn and contribute valuable knowledge LEISURE: to take time to relax and enjoy LOVED: to be loved by those close to me LOVING: to give love to others MASTERY: to be competent in my everyday activities MINDFULNESS: to live conscious and mindful of the present moment MODERATION: to avoid excesses and find a middle ground MONOGAMY: to have one close, loving relationship NON-CONFORMITY: to question and challenge authority and norms NURTURANCE: to take care of and nurture others OPENNESS: to be open to new experiences, ideas, and options ORDER: to have a life that is well-ordered and organized PASSION: to have deep feelings about ideas, activities, or people PLEASURE: to feel good POPULARITY: to be well-liked by many people POWER: to have control over others PURPOSE: to have meaning and direction in my life RATIONALITY: to be guided by reason and logic REALISM: to see and act realistically and practically RESPONSIBILITY: to make and carry out responsible decisions RISK: to take risks and chances ROMANCE: to have intense, exciting love in my life SAFETY: to be safe and secure SELF-ACCEPTANCE: to accept myself as I am SELF-CONTROL: to be disciplined in my own actions SELF-ESTEEM: to feel good about myself SELF-KNOWLEDGE: to have a deep and honest understanding of myself SERVICE: to be of service to others SEXUALITY: to have an active and satisfying sex life SIMPLICITY: to live life simply, with minimal needs SOLITUDE: to have time and space where I can be apart from others SPIRITUALITY: to grow and mature spiritually STABILITY: to have a life that stays fairly consistent TOLERANCE: to accept and respect those who differ from me TRADITION: to follow respected patterns of the past VIRTUE: to live a morally pure and excellent life WEALTH: to have plenty of money WORLD PEACE: to work to promote peace in the world |
The 83 Personal Value cards concept was adopted from a study in 2001 at the University of New Mexico by W.R. Miller, J. C’de Baca, D.B. Matthews, and P.L. Wilborne.
Self-Assess Your Understanding
- How do your values, overall sense of wellbeing, and health behaviors align?
