Reference no: EM132456478

BIO-1156 - Wellness and Health Issues - Lethbridge College

Behavior Change Assessment

Research has indicated that it takes at least 21 days of consistent daily effort to form a new habit and make it Section of your daily routine (FI Informer, 2007). The key of course, is to first identify the habit that you would like to change and then focus on that habit for 21 consecutive days. The hope is to identify, experience, and see some improvement in your overall wellness.

Section 1: IDENTIFYING YOUR BEHAVIOR

Section 1a: Identifying your Target Behavior

The first Section of this assignment will be completing Behavior Assessment Activities from your Health Action Plan ("Your Target Behaviors" & "Understanding your Target Behavior") These assessments can help you to identify a behavior that you might select to change, as well as barriers that may interfere with your progress.

Section 1b: Establishing Baseline
Once you have chosen a behavior to focus on (this MUST be specific), you will need to take a baseline frequency rating of this behavior over the period of one week. For example: if your target behavior is to quit smoking, you will need to identify a unit of measurement - such as one cigarette smoked = 1 unit. You will then simply observe and record the frequency with which you Sectionicipate in this behavior. Graph your frequency on a chart and include it in your assignment. See the example below:

Section 1c: History

Now that you are aware of your frequency of engaging in this behavior, you will reflect on your history with behavior change - have you ever considered changing this behavior? have you tried to make change previously? what stage of change are you currently in? etc., and reflect on why you would like to make this healthy change. Include any personal insights and observations that you have about your reason for wanting to change this behavior. You might want to answer questions such as; What are the consequences of this behavior? How will my life be improved/different if I change this behavior?

Section 1d: Why is Changing This Behavior Important? The Research
Here you will provide supporting evidence from the literature as to the positive health effects of changing this behavior. This section will support the answers to the above questions (What are the consequences of this behavior? How will my life be improved/different if I change this behavior?) Include two (2) scholarly references supporting your behavior change.

Section 2: YOUR PLAN

Section 2a: Setting a SMART Goal

You are now informed of the risks associated with continuing your behavior, as well as the health benefits associated with changing your behavior. Use this information to set a SMART target goal. Once you have determined your "end goal", complete the "Behavior Change Contract" from your Health Action Plan Document.

Section 2b: Creating a Plan for Changing your Behavior

You are now ready to make a plan for your behavior change. You will not change your behavior overnight - it will require small, progressive steps over a period of time. Using your baseline (where you're starting), and your SMART goal, create a progressive plan that has you achieving your "end goal" from Section 2a in three weeks. This can be in any format: calendar, table, paragraph, bullet point, etc. but must be detailed and CLEARLY outline how you plan to change your behavior over time.

Section 3: JOURNAL

Section 3: Keep Track of your Progress

Set up a journal so that you regularly record your progress (or not) towards reaching your behavior change goal. You will record for five (5) days per week for three (3) weeks. Follow the template below to create your journal.

Section 4: Reflect
Week One Write-Up: Now that you have started trying to change your behavior, how do you feel about it? Has it been easier or harder than you expected? Why do you think that is? Have you achieved any goals? Have you encountered any obstacles? If so, how will you avoid it in the future?

Week Two Write-Up: How do you feel about your behavior change now that you're over the mid-way point? Has it become any easier or harder to change? Why do you think that is? Have you encountered any obstacles?

Week Three Write- Up: Congratulations! You have completed your behavior change project. How did it go? Was it easy for you to change your behavior, or did you have a harder time than you expected? Will you continue to maintain your behavior change? How will you accomplish this and why? Was this project helpful to you?

Influence: Can you think of an example of how your behavior has been influenced? Think about your social circle - family, friends, co-workers, peers, etc. Was their influence positive or negative? Identify several different ways your behavior(s) have been influenced (considering social environment, physical environment, personal cues such as stress, etc.).

Future Plan: In six months from now, if you were to relapse into your old behaviors, how would you re-address behavior change? Was this a change something that you considered to be important to your health?