Frontiers in the Neurobiology of Values

by Simon Dolan
2 years ago
2305 Views

New Challenges for mental health professionals in the new landscape of work

by Simon L. Dolan & Tom L. Dolan

The co-authors of this article are 30 years apart in age, genetically bonded as biological father and son, and united in making value- driven decisions every day. We communicate even if our values are not always the same. We strive to do what is right for our environments, minds, and biology and maintain our homeostasis. What is the impact of those personal choices down the line? Does the management of our decisions, actions, and response to stressors affect our children and grandchildren?

If you are familiar with the concepts of Managing, Leading and Coaching by Values (Dolan 2011, 2021, and 2023) which emphasise stress and values interaction, you may recall the triaxial model which helps identify and rank individual core values to enhance general well-being and boost productivity (by reducing stress). In diagnosing what is important to you and then finding a way to apply those core values to your daily behaviour, you create an alignment resulting in enhanced mental health and productivity (see also: Garti and Dolan, 2019 and 2021). The rub, as they say, is balancing this with your life/work goals and objectives, which is inevitably easier said than done.

This article is focused on (and sometimes fore- casts) possible future events from an admittedly odd (we prefer innovative) perspective connected to the neurobiology of values. Admittedly, some of the newer ideas we present in this paper are speculative. More research is certainly needed to substantiate some of our propositions. We do not claim this research to be exhaustive. Nonetheless we feel there is enough here to present you with this “appetiser” of sorts. Perhaps it can help stir reflection around the ideas of resilience, mental health, and what the future holds.

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