We have all
been there. Set our yearly goals; follow them for a few months or weeks or
sometimes only days, before finding them too hard or just get over it. This is
because we often set a goal that is unrealistic, unsustainable or just don’t
break them down into achievable steps. Creating a positive health behaviour
change is completely achievable, so long as you are consciously aware of the
behaviour and actively want to change it.
‘Health
is - the ever changing process of achieving individual potential in the
physical, social, emotional, mental, spiritual and environmental dimensions’ –
(Health; The Basics, Green Edition – Rebecca J. Donatelle, 2011)
5
steps to create and achieve your health behaviour change goals.
1. Reflect
& Choose an Aim.
This might seem
silly but to work your way up you have to start at the bottom. Reflect on what
it is about yourself you’d like to change, or look at it as an opportunity to
enhance a skill that you already have.
If you do not
see or find the need to change a behaviour, then you wont change it. For
example, if a smoker who does not see the need to quit or lessen the amount
they smoke, or a person who eats fast food for majority of the week but feels fine,
wont see the need to change their behaviour.
So the first
step is to really look inside and contemplate what it is that you want to
achieve.
For me this
year, I am going down the path I usually find myself and I aim to become
fitter.
I don’t do any
planned exercise; it’s all incidental activity. I do walk to the shops and park
at the back of the car park if the place I’m going to is too far to walk. I
also crazy dance around the house to loud music but want to get back to the
place I was in when I loved to get out and exercise.
2. Current
Behaviour - Pros & Cons of Changing.
To understand
where your going you have to see where it is your coming from. A lot of the
time our goals are far, far away from our current state and lifestyle. Which
can be both a good and a bad thing. It is great to aim high, but if you can’t
see a path from where you are to where you want to be, it makes the goal look
like an impossible mountain you have to climb.
Many also see
all that they may have to give up many of they things they currently enjoy,
like binge watching a TV show for three days straight, or turning to chocolate
as a coping strategy.
This is where you need to increase
motivation to want to stick with your aim.
List all of the
costs and benefits you will have if you do make this behaviour change, go for
your goal. Then list all of the costs and the benefits for if you do not make
your behaviour change, and stay in your current state. Try and make them a mix
of short term and long-term points, if the only costs of not changing your
behaviour are all long-term consequences, they wont feel relevant and you will
feel less motivated by them.
Explore each of
these and take ownership of the process. Build an understanding of the Pros of
changing your behaviour and the Cons of not changing, to increase your
motivation and readiness to change. If you find this task doesn’t help motivate
you, speak to a friend and they may help you to see Pros and Cons you can’t or
try readjusting your aim.
For my aim,
examples of Pros and Cons could be;
Benefits for
changing my behaviour:
- Feel more
comfortable and healthier in my skin.
- Elevate some
symptoms of anxiety.
Costs of
changing my behaviour:
- Taking up my
current free time.
- Many planned
exercises cost too much for me to afford at the moment.
Benefits of not
changing my behaviour:
- Save money.
Costs of not
changing my behaviour:
- Health
complications later in life, ie heart disease etc.
- No change in
current symptoms of anxiety.
- Will continue
to feel sluggish and have low energy levels.
3. SMART
Goals that Support Your Aim.
Now that you
know what your aim is, it’s time to break it down into goals that help you
achieve it.
SMART goals are
Specific, Measurable, Action-Orientated, Realistic and Time-Orientated. There
are a few other versions of this on the internet so if this doesn’t make sense
to you have a search around.
Each of your
goals should include each of these components;
Specific: your
goals should simplistically define what it is you want to achieve, using what,
how and why.
Measurable:
goals are stated in terms that are observable and can be verified.
Action-orientated:
state what action is needed to achieve your goal.
Realistic: your
goals should be challenging but not impossible to reach.
Time-orientated:
your goals should include a specific time frame that helps create a sense of
urgency.
For me this is
the hardest part of the process and it often trips me up trying to write these
out. I think as long as you vaguely address these 5 criteria you can create
your goals. It is a good idea to make a few SMART goals to address your aim, as
your aim is just an overarching theme, and these goals are what create the base
of your story.
Some
examples of SMART goals for my aim of ‘getting fitter’:
- Walk (specific-
the what/ action orientated) outside (specific- how), 3 times a week (time
orientated/realistic), for an hour each time (time-orientated/realistic), in
the afternoons after work and record progress of how far I walk (measurable),
starting Monday (time-orientated), so I can move my body more without tiring
(specific- why).
- Do yoga
(specific- the what/ action orientated) and stretch out (specific- how), 5
times a week (time orientated/realistic), for half an hour each time (time
orientated/realistic), in the mornings and record progress of how flexible I’m
becoming (measurable), starting Monday (time-orientated), so that I can
increase my range of motion and avoid injury (specific- why).
4.
Overcoming Obstacles.
No matter how
well you have written out your goals you will always hit a snag at implementing
them at some point. That is life! You cannot hit perfection all the time, but
the key is not to just give up on it all. Another way to ensure success is to
be prepared.
After
constructing your smart goals, sit back and identify what barriers you think
will stop you from completing your goals. For me, the first thing that comes to
mind is lack of motivation, but there are a few different types of stimulants
or barriers that can interfere with behaviour change.
There are
behavioural barriers; which are non-supportive or bad habits. Emotional
barriers; which is when you partake in specific behaviours, when feeling
certain emotions. Situational barriers; how you act in certain situations that
may work against your aim. Thought barriers; these are when negative thoughts
control whether or not you complete you goals.
Here are a
few of my examples;
Behavioural- I used to work at a cinema,
I love watching movies and TV shows, so I spend a lot of my free time sitting
down and watching.
Emotional- When I feel unhappy more often
than not I just want to curl up on the couch and read a book, which again
results in not getting up and exercising.
Situational- Often, when I catch up with
my friends it is to go out for dinner or a coffee, where we sit around and chat
to catch up, so again it is a stationary situation.
Thoughts- I often lack in motivation or
procrastinate tasks, postponing them by planning out my week on paper but not
actually getting out and doing the exercise.
Usually it is
the consequences of these actions that determine whether or not we keep
repeating these behaviours in response to the stimulants. For me, I haven’t had
any immediate or server consequences when reacting in the above ways to stimulates
so they have become habits.
So the trick
now is to recreate the reactions to stimulants ahead of time so you have a
prepared action ready.
My examples
of how I could overcome my above barriers;
Behavioural- Find a new rewarding
behaviour to do in my free time, I could set up my laptop next to my treadmill
if I find it hard to let go of my pass time.
Emotional- when I can feel myself moving
into an unhappy mind space, consciously focus on positive thoughts. Remember
that exercise releases endorphins, making you happier.
Situational- When I want to catch up with
friends, suggest a coffee and walk date instead of staying sedentary. Let them
know I want to be more active, and I’d love to walk and catch up with them.
Thoughts- instead of over planning and
postponing exercise all the time, set a plan at the start of the week and just
do it before I can talk myself around it. Get my partner to encourage me to get
out more.
5. Keeping
Yourself on Track.
A lot of the
time how we act is a mind game. It is the sum of our beliefs, skill set,
knowledge, support network, previous experiences and resources.
How we perceive
our own control in a situation also influences how we react.
Internal
Control- Own Your Actions
Julian B.
Rotter (1966) produced an article discussing the differences between an
internal and external locus of control. Locus of control is a continuum scale
of the perceived control an individual has over their behaviours.
People with a
more internal control have the perception that they have control over their
rewards and punishments, they contribute events in their life to their
abilities, and they engage in more problem-solving based coping. They take an
ownership of their actions and what becomes of them. They are more likely to
work for their achievements, set long term goals, tolerate delays in rewards
and are often more able to adapt. ‘I am in control of my own health’ (Wallston,
Wallston & DeVellis, 1978).
Whereas people
with more of an external control standpoint, believe that the events in their
life are a result of luck or chance, and that they feel like they have less
control over their fate. They distance themselves from their actions and the
reactions that come of it, often placing the control in the hands of others.
‘No matter what I do, if I am going to get sick I will get sick’ and ‘Regarding
my health, I can only do what my doctor tells me’ (Wallston, Wallston &
DeVellis, 1978).
In regard to
your health behaviour change, aim to stay near the internal perception of
control. You are in control of your own health outcomes, do not let guilt sway
you as none of us are perfect, we all make mistakes, just pick yourself back up
and take control.
Self-efficacy –
You Can Do It!
Self-efficacy
is the belief that you can overcome barriers and perform behaviours that will
produce the desired outcomes. Believe in yourselves, you are amazing. You can
reach your aims, take control and become who you want to be. We all have the
power to do our own research in this internet day and age. Research the skills
you might need along the way, set out your plan with your aim, SMART goals and
strategies against potential barriers and your over half way there!
Involve your
friends and family, find an online support community, find others to help
enable you on your journey for when you hit a bit of a rough patch, this
doesn’t make you a failure, it just means you are able to fully utilize all the
support available to you.
Evaluate
& Review – Keep Challenging Yourself
Remember that
often your first plan isn’t always enough to get you to your aim, you will need
to make adjustments as you go and make allowances for life as it happens. You
will also need to adjust your goals as you reach them. Make sure you are able
to sustain them for a while before upping the challenge or adding in more SMART
goals.
Do not let a
lapse become a relapse! If your goals are too hard for you, simply adjust them
to a point where they are maintainable. Consistency is key here to maintain
your health behaviour change. Simply adjusting a goal is a better choice than
quitting, as having to start from scratch again later will be harder.
Rewarding Your Behaviours – Be Kind to Yourself
Positive
reinforcement is amazing, so make sure you reward yourself when you reach or
continually maintain you SMART goals!
One thing I
will say is if you are choosing to eat healthier as an aim, try not to reward
yourself with unhealthy treats, as a healthy diet in my opinion is an 80/20
balance, and when you put unhealthy treats on a pedestal and in the ‘forbidden
unless I’ve been good’ category it may create a binge mentality surrounding
them. Which I have experienced in the past.
Having said
that you could always treat yourself to a dinner out with your friends, or a
movie that you have been wanting to see or go out and buy yourself a new dress
or video game you have been waiting for. Positive reinforcement from those
around us always feels the best for me, so if you see a friend who is doing
amazing things and making changes in their life, let them know, show them you
support what they are doing. The possibilities are endless!
Keep in mind
that this is your life and you are the one who has to live it, so don’t beat
yourself up over a trip up in your goals. Just get up and keep living.
Let me know what your aims are for 2015 below and
if you know of any ways that help you stick to your goals, I’d love to hear
them!
‘I am in the process of positive change’ -
Louise L. Hay
Source:
~ Health; The
Basics, Green Edition – Rebecca J. Donatelle, (2011)
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