Question

Tens Tips for changing health behaviors

After years of working with health science students to help older adults change health behaviors, it would be wonderful if I could offer the reader a simple formula for increasing the probability of success. Unfor- tunately, I fall victim to the “kitchen sink” syndrome that I think also afflicts the PRECEDE model just described. There are many factors that can influence the success or failure of an individual’s attempt to change a health behavior, and research has not helped us much in understand- ing which factors are more important for which types of people.

Over the years, therefore, I have developed my own framework for helping older adults make a desired health behavior change. “Model” is too sophisticated a word to describe this framework, so I refer to it as the 10 tips. With each older client willing to attempt a behavior change, a review of the 10 tips is likely to produce strategies that will help the person succeed. From personal experience and pilot research projects, I believe this approach will be helpful. And if you exam- ine the health contract/calendar technique previously summarized, along with the directions for completing it, you will notice that the 10 tips are incorporated into this technique.

In order to make these ideas more practical, I will focus on the specific goal of increasing exercise or physical activity. This also hap- pens to be the health goal most likely to be chosen by older adults when given a choice among many options (Haber & Looney, 2000; Elder et al., 1995).

If you work with older adults to change a health behavior and want to commit these 10 tips to memory, it may be helpful to note that the first 4 start with the letter M, the next 5 form the acronym PRESS, and the 10th one can be abbreviated as P.S., as for a postscript in a letter you are writing.

Motivation

Modest

Measurable

Memory

Positive thoughts

Reinforcement

Environmental support

Stress management

Social support

Problem-solve

1. Motivation. It is obvious that a person must be motivated to change a health behavior. I have found, however, that the first motivation identified by an older adult is not necessarily the one that lights up their eyes with authenticity. Those contemplating a reason for over- coming their sedentary ways may first come up with a politically cor- rect motivation that elicits the approval of others, including the health educator they are working with, rather than one that is heartfelt.

For instance, avoiding heart disease may truly be the most moti- vating reason for someone to take on the challenge of a new exercise routine. Or it may not be. With a little probing on the part of the health educator, it may come to light that the person is more passion- ate about practicing better sleeping habits, or achieving regularity in bowel habits, or increasing energy in order to play longer with the grandchildren. It is best to spend a sufficient amount of time dis- cussing what motivates the client and to examine the client’s facial expressions for clues to what is of importance.

Health Promotion and Aging

2. Modest. No one is ever disappointed if they exceed the goal they have established. And anyone who does not accomplish a desired goal will be disappointed. Nonetheless, it is an uncommon event when an older adult initially declares a goal that is modest enough to elicit the health educator’s confidence that it can be achieved or exceeded. It is more common, for instance, for someone to state a goal of performing an exercising routine every day. It is important, however, to make that daily goal more modest. If a client sets the goal at exercising four times a week and meets or exceeds that goal, motivation will be sustained.

Health Promotion and Aging

3. Measurable. Measurability has several components. How much will the older adult be doing—that is, how many minutes of exercise and on how many days of the week? How intensely will the person be doing it—that is, will they establish a brisk walking pace that is twice the pace of their normal walking? Will they monitor their breath- ing, making sure that they achieve sufficient intensity to produce deep breathing, but not so much intensity that talking while walking becomes difficult? Will they monitor intensity level, building up in the beginning and slowing down near the end?

Health Promotion and Aging

4.Memory. Habits take up a large part of the day. We give little thought to many of the activities that constitute our daily routine, and at the same time we rarely forget them. How do we switch to a new behavior, one that is a bit challenging to adopt, and make it a new habit? The answer is by enhancing our memory in as many ways as possible.

Health Promotion and Aging

5. Positive Thoughts. Substitute positive and hopeful thoughts for negative, self-defeating ones. For each negative thought like “I’ve never been able to maintain exercise routines before,” substitute a positive argument like “It may be difficult, but this time I will persist and accomplish my goal.” It may be helpful to record affirmations and place them in conspicuous locations. Other avenues of positive support are to find books or magazines that inspire clients, encourage them to associate with persons who model what they are attempting to accomplish, and have them seek friends or acquaintances who are willing to be supportive of their goal.

Health Promotion and Aging

6. Reinforcement. Most psychologists rely on positive reinforcement rather than negative reinforcement. If success is achieved at the end of the first week, for instance, encourage clients to treat themselves to a movie or purchase a book. If success is observed at the end of the month, encourage them to buy theater tickets.

7. Environmental Support. Another term for environmental support is stimulus control. The best example of this applies to weight manage- ment. If you want to contribute to weight maintenance or loss, make sure that the client does not keep junk food in the house.

Health Promotion and Aging

8. Stress Management. It is the rare person who does not feel stress these days. Not only do we live in a fast-paced society, but we are also likely to contend with the automobile driver who is releasing road rage, cope with a frustrating physical disability, struggle with a personal loss, or encounter countless other hassles and annoyances. Stress is a common barrier to achieving a health goal. If possible, therefore, build into the plan of action a few stress management tech- niques that can be practiced on a regular basis, preferably daily.

Health Promotion and Aging

9. Social Support. This tip is next to last, but definitely not in order of importance. I suggest that some thought be given to social support for every client. For most older adults, social support is desirable; for some, it is essential. It may be a good idea to build social support into the statement of the health goal itself.

Health Promotion and Aging

10. Problem-Solve. Finally, chances are good that the client has tried to achieve this exercise goal or a similar one before. It typically takes multiple efforts to achieve a goal. Explore what might have gone wrong in the past, or what might go wrong in the immediate future. Spend a little time identifying likely barriers and ways to overcome them. It may turn out that problems can be solved by addressing some of the previous tips. Or the client may have to develop his or her own additional tip.

Questions:

1) Identify one component of a healthy behavior that you would like to adopt for yourself.

2) Use the ten tips to describe how you would go about changing your health behaviors.

3) Consider what challenges you may encounter along the way and how you will address those.

Please discuss and Be very specific in your descriptions and provide a rationale for your decisions using concepts.

Answer 1

ANSWERS :

1. I would like to adopt Positive Thoughts for my healthy behavior. As positive thoughts makes mind peaceful, free of negativity, high chances of being happier, develops confidence in self, makes independent, and can achieve desired goals. To avoid unhealthy thoughts and ideas and to lead a happy life I would adopt for positive thoughts.

2.

1. MOTIVATION : Motivation brings a new energy to perform new things in a active way, and helps to participate in activities of work without any hesitation. I would go for motivation to get boost up daily with a new spirit of work done to achieve my goals.

2. MODEST : Modest is achieving goals higher than what has set prior to be achieved. I would adopt modest health behavior to go for a limit less of work than expected to discover new peaks of success in work.

3. MEASURABLE : Measuring of my daily activities like exercises can change my health behavior. As exercise is important to keep a person fit and healthy, but due to age related problems or physical pressure most of us don't go for extreme exercises. So I would like to measure my daily level of exercises starting from mild to extreme levels to achieve goals.

4. MEMORY : Memory is the process of remembering things happening in the daily life. I would like to adopt memory in terms of a healthy way to make my day with a fresh mind to remember all the things that are happening around me. This can be achieved by intake of healthy nutritious diet, meditation, stress reduction, etc.

5. POSITIVE THOUGHTS : I would like to adopt Positive Thoughts for my healthy behavior. As positive thoughts makes mind peaceful, free of negativity, high chances of being happier, develops confidence in self, makes independent, and can achieve desired goals. To avoid unhealthy thoughts and ideas and to lead a happy life I would adopt for positive thoughts.

6. REINFORCEMENT : I would like to adopt reinforcement as a part of my healthy behavior. If I got success in my work encouraging myself by appreciating myself going out for a dinner or buying something for me can makes my day happy and fill with new anxiety in me.

7. ENVIRONMENTAL SUPPORT : To protect myself from hypothermia I need warm temperature in the environment. To create warm I will purchase warm clothes and accessories which is going to create a healthy behavior in me to protect from infections.

8. STRESS MANAGEMENT : I will include this to change my behavior in terms of developing positive attitudes in me. Due to stress from work loads,daily stress increases in body which is not good for the health and it causes many disease conditions. Managing of stress by keeping mind calm, keep a smile on face, problem solving methods, music, dance, can be useful to reduce stress.

9. SOCIAL SUPPORT : Getting social support from family and friends will boost up a new level of anxiety in solving problems and to achieve new things or goals in life.

10. PROBLEM SOLVE : In this one healthy behavior can be achieved by developing a positive thoughts and attitudes, in identifying barriers of problems, ways which I can use to solve the problem, which method ha to select either good way or bad way implies on health behaviors.