In this episode, Gene & Matt talk about values and belief systems. What are they? How do they influence our actions? Where do they come from? And can they be changed? Matt talks about the connection between mental health symptoms such as anxiety and depression, and how they could actually be a misalignment between one’s values and their behaviors. Gene talks a little about social anxiety, how that presents in his mind, and applies a value analysis to understand if his behaviors in social contexts are aligned with his values, or something else, such as fear. We also come to a place of agreement that values are something that we all ought to revisit and reassess at various points in our life, and how doing so can help keep us on the path of the life we want to be living!

A couple things we referenced in the episode: 

The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris (2nd edition, July 2022) : a book that guides any person, mental health professional or not, through the steps of acceptance and commitment therapy as a way to address anxiety, depression, self-esteem issues, guilt, existential worries or dread, or navigating difficult life changes. It seeks to help its readers better understand the emotional and psychological landscape of these experiences in order to find the most fulfilling path forward.
https://thehappinesstrap.com/

And here's a link that explains more of what acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapy-types/acceptance-and-commitment-therapy