How ready am I to make a change?
Wed, 07/06/2011 - 22:09 — Liana
What Are the Stages of Making Habit Change?
People’s readiness level to make a change is described with stage of change theory (developed by James Prochaska and Carlo DiClemente). Your readiness or stage may differ for each specific habit you would like to change: cutting back French fries, eating more wheat toast, walking for a half an hour after work, or stopping smoking. The stages are:
- Not thinking about making a change: I don’t need to make a change right now or I can’t make a change now (precontemplation)
- Thinking about making a change: I have been thinking I would like to start within 6 months (contemplation).
- Preparing for change: I have some information and tried some things and I would like to start in the next month (preparation).
- Making change: I am currently building my new habit, but have been doing it less then one month (action)
- Sticking with change: I have been doing this new habit for more than 6 months (maintenance)
- Slipping back to old ways: I have gotten out of the habit and would like to start again (relapse)
Please complete your readiness level for each of the recommended habits below:
How ready are you to:
1. Eat less calories
- I don’t need to make a change right now or I can’t make a change now
- I have been thinking I would like to start within 6 months
- I have some information and tried some things and I would like to start in the next month
- I am currently building my new habit, but have been doing it less then one month
- I have been doing this new habit for more than 6 months
- I have gotten out of the habit and would like to start again
2. Eat more fruits
- I don’t need to make a change right now or I can’t make a change now
- I have been thinking I would like to start within 6 months
- I have some information and tried some things and I would like to start in the next month
- I am currently building my new habit, but have been doing it less then one month
- I have been doing this new habit for more than 6 months
- I have gotten out of the habit and would like to start again
3. Eat more vegetables
- I don’t need to make a change right now or I can’t make a change now
- I have been thinking I would like to start within 6 months
- I have some information and tried some things and I would like to start in the next month
- I am currently building my new habit, but have been doing it less then one month
- I have been doing this new habit for more than 6 months
- I have gotten out of the habit and would like to start again
4. Eat less saturated fats (and avoiding trans-fats)
- I don’t need to make a change right now or I can’t make a change now
- I have been thinking I would like to start within 6 months
- I have some information and tried some things and I would like to start in the next month
- I am currently building my new habit, but have been doing it less then one month
- I have been doing this new habit for more than 6 months
- I have gotten out of the habit and would like to start again
5. Eat more whole grains and fiber
- I don’t need to make a change right now or I can’t make a change now
- I have been thinking I would like to start within 6 months
- I have some information and tried some things and I would like to start in the next month
- I am currently building my new habit, but have been doing it less then one month
- I have been doing this new habit for more than 6 months
- I have gotten out of the habit and would like to start again
6. Eat less sugar
- I don’t need to make a change right now or I can’t make a change now
- I have been thinking I would like to start within 6 months
- I have some information and tried some things and I would like to start in the next month
- I am currently building my new habit, but have been doing it less then one month
- I have been doing this new habit for more than 6 months
- I have gotten out of the habit and would like to start again
7. Eat less salt
- I don’t need to make a change right now or I can’t make a change now
- I have been thinking I would like to start within 6 months
- I have some information and tried some things and I would like to start in the next month
- I am currently building my new habit, but have been doing it less then one month
- I have been doing this new habit for more than 6 months
- I have gotten out of the habit
8. Be physically active at a moderate intensity level for at least 30 minutes 5 days of the week
- I don’t need to make a change right now or I can’t make a change now
- I have been thinking I would like to start within 6 months
- I have some information and tried some things and I would like to start in the next month
- I am currently building my new habit, but have been doing it less then one month
- I have been doing this new habit for more than 6 months
- I have gotten out of the habit
9. Do strength training exercises twice a week
- I don’t need to make a change right now or I can’t make a change now
- I have been thinking I would like to start within 6 months
- I have some information and tried some things and I would like to start in the next month
- I am currently building my new habit, but have been doing it less then one month
- I have been doing this new habit for more than 6 months
- I have gotten out of the habit
10. Get at least seven hours of sleep a night
- I don’t need to make a change right now or I can’t make a change now
- I have been thinking I would like to start within 6 months
- I have some information and tried some things and I would like to start in the next month
- I am currently building my new habit, but have been doing it less then one month
- I have been doing this new habit for more than 6 months
- I have gotten out of the habit
11. Quit tobacco
- I don’t need to make a change right now or I can’t make a change now
- I have been thinking I would like to start within 6 months
- I have some information and tried some things and I would like to start in the next month
- I am currently building my new habit, but have been doing it less then one month
- I have been doing this new habit for more than 6 months
- I have gotten out of the habit
12. Keep alcohol intake to less than two drinks per day for women and 4 drinks per day for men
- I don’t need to make a change right now or I can’t make a change now
- I have been thinking I would like to start within 6 months
- I have some information and tried some things and I would like to start in the next month
- I am currently building my new habit, but have been doing it less then one month
- I have been doing this new habit for more than 6 months
- I have gotten out of the habit
13. Learn how to cope with stress in a healthy way
- I don’t need to make a change right now or I can’t make a change now
- I have been thinking I would like to start within 6 months
- I have some information and tried some things and I would like to start in the next month
- I am currently building my new habit, but have been doing it less then one month
- I have been doing this new habit for more than 6 months
- I have gotten out of the habit and would like to start again
Review your answers. Which habits do you feel you are ready to work on now? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Is there some other health habit that interests you most now?________________________
Which one would you like to start to apply to the program?_________________________________________________________
