"Values are the principles that guide what matters most. When we act in alignment with them, life tends to feel more grounded. When we're out of alignment, stress and overwhelm often rise. Clarifying values can help us prioritize, set boundaries, and communicate needs. For those new to this kind of reflection, tools like a value card sort can help identify what truly matters and open meaningful conversations with partners or family."
"For years, I didn't have language for this tension. I only knew that what I cared about and what my body could manage rarely lined up. Naming that gap changed how I approached the holidays. So how do we move through a season that asks for more than our systems can comfortably hold? Before exploring the holidays more deeply, it helps to ground the conversation in what psychologists mean by values."
The holiday season often creates a clash between personal values and access needs for neurodivergent people. Values such as connection, tradition, and family can conflict with needs for rest, sensory boundaries, and routine. Clarifying values reduces shame, guides intentional choices, and enables prioritization. Identifying access needs helps align meaningful activities with nervous system capacity. Tools like a value card sort support reflection and communication with partners or family. Naming the gap between what one values and what the body can manage enables boundary-setting and different planning. When values and needs are aligned, stress and overwhelm tend to decrease.
Read at Psychology Today
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]