BEHAVIORAL CHANGE
If you look at any habit that is out of balance or conflicts with your goals, behavioral change is a vital piece in the process of altaining your desired outcome. This may include eating habits, lack of exercise, procrastination or compulsive behaviors. Here are the 4 stages of behavioral change, and each must be addressed in order to effect lasting change:
CONTEMPLATION
It’s that initial period where you spend a fair amount of time thinking about a specific change you want to make. It could be that you want to stop night eating while watching TV.
PREPARATION
Here’s where you’ve make a decision that you want to and are going to make a change
ACTION
Now you begin taking small steps and noticing how it feels, addressing roadblocks that come up. Your first action may be to stop buying the items you generally eat while watching TV. It may be to drink water or tea in the evening without food. Consciously note any positive outcomes from this change in habit.
MAINTENANCE
This is the last and final step in making change, and can be the hardest. It takes 21 days to solidify a new habit, so be patient with yourself, and stay with it. Once you have these 21 days under your belt, you will have created a new routine that will feel easier and more natural as time passes.
