By Jessica Darvell (Psychologist). MPsych(Clin.),GradDipPsych, BCom/BSc.

Finally we have come to the fifth and last instalment of this blog series. It has been a wonderful experience to reflect back upon aspects of wellbeing, and to share these with my valued readers.

Wellbeing is about being true to yourself and your values, it is about kindness, self-compassion, and a holistic approach to living and balance. We need to consider how we prioritise elements of our life in line with our values. So what happens if we haven’t stopped to think about our values? How can we be living a life that is in-line with our values if we don’t even know what they are? Our wellbeing needs to consider who we are, who we want to be, the types of people we want to surround ourselves with, what is important to us, and how we will spend our time.

 

An exercise in understanding your values

Take the time to reflect upon your values and what is important to you. Remember to consider family, friends, physical health, emotional health, spirituality, work, education, finances, travel, animals, the environment, culture, creativity, and other things that may be important to you.

Ask yourself:

• What do I value in life?
• What type of person do I want to be?
• Who are the people I want to spend time with?
• What are the things I want to achieve?
• How should I prioritise my time given my values?

Values are different to everyone, they vary, and there is no right or wrong. Some of the suggested items above may not be important to you, while others may be integral to the person you are. Reflect upon them, consider them, make sure you are clear to yourself about what you value, and continue to check in with these over time as they will change as you change.

 

To recap, this wellbeing series has talked about relaxation, centring, self-compassion, goal setting and values. Thank you for reading and I hope you have found this useful.

 

Sometimes reflecting on values may highlight some emotional pain. If managing this is difficult then seeking professional help is a good idea. Speak with your GP, or contact Jessica to discuss this further.

 

Some more helpful resources:

• Smiling Mind: https://smilingmind.com.au/
• Lifeline: 13 11 14 or lifeline.org.au
• Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636 or beyondblue.org.au/