Archive for March 25, 2012

Processes of Change (2nd component)

Processes of Change

This is the 2nd component of the Transtheoretical Model of Change about which we highlighted a couple of weeks ago in an email to you.

Individuals use different strategies to pass through the stages. The processes of change allow us to understand how shifts from one behavior to another occur. This movement is divided into 2 categories – cognitive process and behavioral process.

Cognitive processes (CP) are based on experiences. Relevant information is gathered based on the individual’s own personal experiences.

Behavioral processes (BP) are based on behavioral experiences. relevant information is gathered through events from the environment and experienced behavior.

There are 10 (ten) relevant Processes of Change involved in the Transtheoretical Model.

Consciousness Raising – Learning new facts and gathering more awareness of healthy behaviors or change.
Environmental Evaluation – Determining what effect unhealthy behaviors have on your own environment (for example – how do your unhealthy habits reflect on your family, work, etc.)
Dramatic Release – Experiencing negative emotions associated while engaging in that unhealthy behavior (keep a journal of these emotions).
Social Liberation – Increasing your social interactions and opportunities to make healthy choices (joining a gym).
Self-Evaluation – Reviewing and analyzing how you feel after engaging in an unhealthy behavior. What image do you want to reflect? Imagining yourself and seeing yourself as that healthy, fit individual.
Self-Liberation -Believing that you have to change your life from within and being driven by that self-efficacy (belief in oneself to complete a task).
Helping Relationships – Gaining the trust and support of others as you mold yourself into those healthier behaviors. Friends, family or outside support groups who are accepting of the “new” you.
Counter Conditioning – Changing your response to a new behavior. Making that once unpleasant feeling associated with a behavior into a positive response (exercise when stressed instead of eating for relief).
Stimulus Control – Changing those triggers of unhealthy behavior around you and adding triggers that prompt you to a healthy lifestyle (if going out to eat, avoid restaurants where portion size is out of control and rather seek a place where healthy options are available).
Management – Rewarding yourself for healthy behaviors and changes and decreasing any rewards for unhealthy behavior (buy something new when you lose weight instead of rewarding yourself with a piece of chocolate).

During each stage of change, a person can and will use each one of these processes to advance forward to the next stage. I’ve attached a chart for easy reference and downloadable here -> Processes of Change.