The summer work-out regime is looming large. But how have your lifestyle changes fared? You won’t be alone in struggling to make lasting changes in your life, and the psychology behind this shows it has little to do with how much you want to make those changes. Research by Bagozzi and colleagues (2010) show that participants who rely only on good intentions to regulate their snack intake quickly fail. So what is the solution?
Break it down
The first step is isolating the issue. Then, once you have a set specific goal and timeframe, start to break down your change into smaller steps. This is a proven method, following a ‘pyramid’ style of making changes and helps get you through that first difficult stage of change. This first stage, documented by researchers James Prochaska and Carolo DiClemente shows that it is during the first stages of change that a person is most unwilling or resistant to change. So your first focus should be on taking small steps to get you through this phase.
Embed behaviour
Now you have made the change, is it time to relax? No! According to researchers, almost all
So what’s the solution?
In psychology, ‘system 1’ processes are used to maintain change instead. This involves forming a new habit by making a lifestyle change automatic. You can do this easily by ensuring that your new
Time to talk
Lastly, and most importantly, make time in your life to talk. This will ensure that these lifestyle changes don’t quickly fall by the wayside. People who regularly meet with a registered psychologist are far more likely to maintain new habits. Get in touch with me to find out how regular therapy sessions can be tailored around the lifestyle changes you want to make.
