One of my favorite ways of checking in with myself is through assessing my values. I find that when I am perturbed, I am usually in need of a values audit and recalibration. When I talk with clients about how they’re feeling, the biggest emotions that tend to show up are Depression, Anxiety, and Anger. These show up in my own life as well.
When processing through these emotions with myself and with others, I tend to center the reflection around values. Values are our compass of living the life we set out to. I often find that when faced with these emotions, there is a value need going unaddressed.
Depression/ Despair- This is an emotion that can zap us of our vitality, leaving us hopeless and purposeless. I find this emotion present when I have been neglecting or not staying intentional about enacting my values in my life.
Anxiety/ Insecurity- This is an emotion that tends to show up for me as uncomfortability, uncertainty, or restlessness that can leave me feeling depleted. This emotion tends to arise when I am judging myself based on another person/system’s value set rather than my own.
Anger/ Resentment- when this emotion shows up I am typically annoyed, questioning, and overwhelmed. It leaves me feeling hardened. This emotion is a sign to me that a change is needed. I tend to stumble across this emotion when I find myself in a trajectory where I am misaligned in my values or find that a space I am in does not match my internal value system.
Emotions give us information. What we choose to do with that information is how we cultivate wisdom. My top values at this time of my life are Wisdom, Love, Play, and Expression. I aim to live out of these values in big and small ways everyday through my work, relationships, and general energy I give to my world. Let your own values be your source material from which you create a life worth living.