Making changes can be really hard. Our brains love to take the easy route and habits stick. Often we know we should make changes, particularly in relation to our health and wellness. We know the WHAT but we don’t know HOW to change. We may have tried and been unsuccessful so we feel like a failure, which doesn’t help our motivation to continue to work on change.
A really helpful tool, is to work out which ‘stage of change’ you are at. This can then help you to identify what you might need to do or think next, to keep you moving forward to achieving your goal.
The first stage is when you may know you need to change something, but you won’t because you aren’t interested, or you think you can’t change. This is called the pre-contemplation stage. If you are here, try to share your thoughts about why you can’t change with an empathetic listener, or think a little about some positives if you did make a change. Even thinking about how you might overcome some challenges is useful here. Talking to others about there thoughts can be useful as well.
The next stage is contemplation, when you think that you may make a change. You might have a few reasons why you want to make a change but you haven’t thought further than that. You might think change is difficult but there is a possibility that you might consider it at some point. It’s useful here to focus on your strengths and values, and what would motivate you to make a change in the future.
Preparation stage is just that, getting ready to make a change. You have decided that you will make a change, so you are doing some research into it, you are looking at the barriers and how you might over them. You are looking at your options and what might work for you. This is largely a thinking stage, with a little testing out to see if some things will work. Its like putting your toe in the water to test the temperature. Setting a goal is great to do at this stage, so that you are prepared for when you take action.
The fun part is when you actually start taking action and making a change. This is the ‘I am’ stage. You are moving from thinking into doing. Here you are creating new behaviours, new habits. You are using all the supports and resources around you to make that change happen for real. You might set yourself small goals that you focus towards on a daily or weekly basis that are achievable. This is important so that you can feel success along the way. There might be some ups and downs at this stage as doing something new is hard, but always knowing your ‘why’ is crucial. Going back to your overall goal and keeping your motivators front of mind is beneficial. Get some cheerleaders around you to celebrate small and big successes is great at this stage.
The final stage of change is the maintenance stage, the ‘I still am’ phase. This is when you are consistently maintaining your new behaviour and it has become second nature. There may be some lapses, but here is the time to keep positive, use your resources and problem solve. Be creative and flexible, but this is also your chance to be a role model for others.
Think of a health behaviour you wish to change, or are changing, or have changed. Can you identify with which stage you were or are in? Does knowing these stages help you to know which pathway you will take to move your new behaviour forward? Whatever stage of change you find yourself in, for whatever health behaviour, believe in yourself. You can do it. It is absolutely do-able to go from ‘I can’t’ to ‘I am’. You may be able to make changes on your own, or with support from your family or friends. Or you may benefit from the guidance of a health coach to help you make these changes. Whatever you choose, be patient and be kind to yourself. Change isn’t easy, but there will a lot to celebrate when you achieve success.
Based on the Transtheoretical Model of Behaviour Change (Prochaska and DiClemente).
Photo by Carles Rabada on Unsplash