Discover Your Values for Well-Being During a Live Webinar Series

A three-part series hosted by Duke’s Personal Assistance Service will illustrate how values shape everyday life and support well-being

a lotus flower and lily pads are next to the words Duke Personal Assistance Service

Over the years, Personal Assistance Service counselor Eric Chaiken has noticed that clients will often describe a life that seems fine on the surface, but there’s a chronic sense of something missing or feeling unfulfilled.

Often, Chaiken has found the missing piece can be traced back to values – the priorities that are often unspoken but steer how people spend time and make choices.  Understanding how values are prioritized can help in making decisions, building relationships and navigating challenges, Chaiken said.

"Values are like our compass," Chaiken said. "They're broad life goals that help guide our attitudes and behaviors."

A three-part webinar this fall from PAS will help Duke staff and faculty identify their values, understand why they matter and learn how to follow their core beliefs in everyday life to support well-being. Led by Chaiken, “Values: Discovering What Matters Most” begins Oct. 13 with a one-hour session at noon. Two more lunchtime webinars follow every other week.

Signup is not required, and sessions will be recorded and available on demand.

Across the three sessions, Chaiken will walk participants through what values are, how culture and life experience shape which ones take root, and how to recognize the personal hierarchy of values that most people have never actually written down.

"When we sit back and look at our values and how they relate to decisions, it's like we put on a new set of lenses that we're able to see the situation through," he said.

The series schedule and topics include:

Tues. Oct. 13, noon – 1 p.m.:  Values 101: Understanding What Matters Most

This webinar explores what values are and how they act as guiding principles that influence the way we think, make decisions, behave and pursue long-term goals. Participants will identify which values are most important to them and explore how those values influence their everyday decisions.

Tues. Oct. 27, noon – 1 p.m.: How Values Develop, Change and Interact with Life

The second webinar explores where values originate and how they develop over time. Participants will learn how emotions, well-being and uncertainty can influence the values they prioritize.

Tues. Nov. 10, noon – 1 p.m.: Living Your Values: Well-Being, Meaning and Everyday Life

This final webinar discusses how values can influence well-being, motivation, burnout and happiness. Participants will learn why alignment with personal values can affect overall well-being.

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