Two psychologists, Prochaska & DiClementes, determined that people trying to change their behavior go through 5 specific stages of change before they are successful. During each stage you work through a different set of issues and tasks that relate to changing your behavior. Everyone progresses through each of these stages at their own rate. You can’t skip a stage, although you may only be at some stages only briefly. The 5 stages are:

Stage 1: Pre-Contemplation

Stage 2: Contemplation

Stage 3: Preparation

Stage 4: Action

Stage 5: Maintenance

Stage 1: Pre-Contemplation:

• You’re not thinking about making a change because you don’t think you have a problem that needs changing and you are not interested in any kind of help.
• As soon as you consider making a change you have moved onto the contemplation stage

Stage 2: Contemplation:

• You are more aware of the consequences of your unhealthy behavior and open to discussing the possibility of doing something different.
• You acknowledge there is a problem that needs to be addressed, but are still ambivalent about making the change, You weigh the pros and cons of changing, but still doubt that the long-term benefits will outweigh the short-term costs
• Some of us may think and think and think about making a particular change for years, but never move past this stage
• Increasing your self-awareness moves you forward. Some questions to ask yourself:

Why do I want to change?

What is preventing me from changing?

What would help me make this change?

• Identify the first small steps you can take to move yourself forward - this creates momentum.
• Create a list of the personal advantages of making the change and a second list of the disadvantages of remaining where you are – identifying these can also create motivation to move forward.
• Assess your motivation level by rating it on a scale of 1-10, with 1 indicating “no motivation” and 10 being “very motivated”. What would move you up one level (say from a 6 to a 7)? This will help you identify some short-term goals.
• Strategize ahead of time on how to deal with challenging situations if they were to occur. Be proactive. Focus on problem-solving these obstacles, such as: “Who will support me at work if and when I decide to change my eating habits?”

Stage 3: Preparation:

• You have made a commitment to change and in preparation have started investigating options.
• You start gathering whatever you need in order to be successful: surfing the web, seeking help from others (peer coach, personal trainer, nutritionist), calling to find out about community programs and resource, researching how others have succeeded, or taking a course and establishing support people.
• Write down your goal and create an action plan for achieving it. Begin small day-to-day behavior changes. These small steps can help build confidence and develop necessary skills.

Stage 4: Action:

• You are actively doing things to change. Moving forward with the steps in your action plan.
• Your new behavior may still be occurring on a limited and irregular basis because motivation can come and go. With time your new behavior becomes more prominent and the old behavior occurs less and less.
• Reward yourself for any positive steps you take. Reinforcement and support are extremely important in helping maintain positive steps toward change.
• Keeping a food, smoking or activity journal can help to increase your self-awareness.
• It is normal for people to “relapse” or go back to old behaviors when starting to make a change – this does not have to mean you have to give up completely. See your slips as learning opportunities. Ask yourself – “what could I do differently next time if this was to happen again?”
• Reinforce your motivation - How can you keep the most important benefits foremost in your mind? A picture, a photo, a quote, an item.

Stage 5: Maintenance:

• At this stage you maintain your change until it becomes permanent and you don’t need to keep working on it.
• You can still be vulnerable to relapse and need to stay focused on maintaining your new behavior through effective planning and avoiding and resisting temptations.
• You have to continue practicing your new behaviors until they become second nature.

Relapse

• Relapse occurs when you return to your old behavior and abandon the new change.
• It is normal and natural to fall back to a previous stage – most people experience relapse in some form along the way.
• Relapse is often accompanied by feelings of discouragement and a sense of failure. However, the majority of people who are successful at making a change do not follow a straight path to permanent success. Many cycle through the 5 stages several times.
• It is important not to see relapse as a failure. It is important to analyze how the relapse occurred and use it as a learning opportunity and an opportunity to become stronger.
• Identify the triggers that lead to the relapse. Explore how to anticipate future high-risk situations and how you can handle them either once they occur or how to avoid them in the first place.

Barb Small
www.barbsmallcoaching.com
Email: barbsmall@shaw.ca