Tap into your core values to stay grounded and manage stress. Try the steps below to activate your relaxation response:
- Identify your core values to feel less threatened by adversity and tough situations. Plus, you’ll feel more confident tackling whatever life throws at you!
- Track your core values to strengthen them over time. Those who work on improving their personal qualities have lower levels of stress hormones like cortisol and experience fewer intense physical reactions to stress.
- Self-affirm your core values to lower stress hormones, reduce defensive reactions in challenging moments, and quiet overthinking after setbacks.
The practice
Time needed: Varies by individual
Identify
Imagine you’re celebrating your retirement. You’re surrounded by leaders, peers, loved ones, and those who look up to you. What would they say about you that makes you proud? How would they describe you and the impact you made over the years? Would they say you worked diligently? That you lead with consistency? Recognizing what you’d most like to hear in this situation can offer clues as to which values are important to you.
Now think about what you’d say in the moment. This is a powerful opportunity to consider how your core values show up in your personal life as well. How do they shape the way you handle challenging situations, your relationships, and the time you spend alone? Start a list of your top values by breaking them down into key areas of your life:
- Attitudes
- Strengths
- Work and education
- Personal growth and health
- Recreation and leisure time
- Relationships and community
Keep in mind that values aren’t an achievement or outcome you move on from. For example, a value isn’t completing Ranger School—it’s about the persistence, discipline, and teamwork it takes to get there. Understanding your core values should be a developing, ongoing process. The goal of this practice is to gain a deeper understanding of your values and how they help you grow in life and positively shape your behavior.
Track
Now that you’ve identified your core values, the next step is to develop them further. Your values won’t always come naturally to you, but with consistency and effort, you can strengthen them. Use HPRC’s Values Tracker to identify 6 values you’d like to focus on for the week. Choose a category or a mix of personal and professional values.
Self-affirm
Affirming your values helps reinforce their importance in your daily life. By routinely reaffirming them, you deeply integrate your values into your thoughts, behavior, and sense of self. Value affirmation is an effective way to reduce stress and find balance. Here are some simple ways to affirm.
- Say your values out loud in front of a mirror or whenever you have a moment to yourself. You could say, “I’m persistent, I’m hard-working, I have integrity, I’m loyal…etc.”
- Journal about your values for 5–10 minutes.
- Jot your values down on sticky notes and leave them around your workspace.
- Set phone reminders to revisit your values regularly.
Share your values with others—including those you mentor—and explain why they’re meaningful.
