Have you ever tried to make a healthy change, such as in losing weight, to stop smoking or start an exercise plan and failed at it? It is probably because you were not ready to make that change. I think of a client I worked with, who had been diagnosed with “pre-diabetes” and her physician told her to lose weight, increase her activity and to stop smoking. Well, when my client heard all of these instructions she was overwhelmed and it is easy to understand why. She was not ready for this mentally. Her husband had medical problems and she smoked because she was trying to cope and she loved baking for her grandchildren. This was going to cause a change for her and she was not equipped to deal with it without some guidance. Unfortunately, many physicians give patients an action plan without addressing the behavioral aspects or their understanding and readiness, to put that plan into action. The truth of the matter is that chronic high risk behaviors such as smoking, fast food eating, alcohol abuse or lack of exercise lead to unhealthy continuing habits, which destroy health. In order to change these destructive behaviors we must first change our minds, to do so.
Stages of change are important to understand in order to have good results. Stages of change include:
Pre-contemplation- In this stage you are considering making a healthy change. You may not be ready to make the change yet. This stage can keep you from going forward. You may not really understand what you need to do. Fear of failure can keep you from moving forward. You may also tend to defend your behavior in some way, thereby protecting your concept of independence.
Contemplation- In this stage you are getting closer to making a commitment to change. You may be excited about the potential change but you may also be confused and this is why this stage may last up to 6 months. There may be doubt, which causes a delay in action.
Preparation- This stage includes your preparation, exact steps to put into place. With education and exercises designed to help a client move forward with an action plan, this stage may last a short period of time.
Action- This is the stage where you are ready mentally to start the action plan. For many, this is reached by guided instruction through the different stages, feedback and pre-planning and collaborating with a behavioral health expert or coach.
Maintaining- In this stage you are continuing with your plan, making changes as needed.
Along with utilizing some principles of positive psychology, my client was able to make some needed healthy changes for her health. She did this with determination and collaboration with others, along with guided instruction and planning. She learned that changing behavior is inherent and is a survival skill. We focused on her strengths and on using hope, gratitude and positive emotion to build upon her resources. Cultivating positive effect, she became more optimistic and hopeful, developing more self-confidence to persevere when faced with challenges When she was faced with feelings of difficulty we focused on how positive change could mean that she could stay healthier to help her husband and live longer to enjoy her grandchildren.
Are you trying to institute some health changes? Don’t give up and find an expert or coach to help you along the path.