Hopefully, if you are planning on making some major changes in the New Year, you will be putting a major amount of effort into the process of change. Unfortunately, human beings are experts in majoring in the minors and minoring in the majors. Meaning that we often don't put major effort into things that are really important in our lives. Understanding and utilizing the processes of change can help us to be better at addressing major issues in our lives.
Prochaska and his colleagues, after reviewing countless numbers of self-improvement and life-change programs, the techniques used by psychotherapists and counselors and educational and training programs that focused on helping individuals to develop new skills, defined 10 major processes of change, and related these processes to the stages of change that we reviewed in the previous post. One of these processes that he felt was very helpful to people in the pre-contemplation stage, those not really thinking about making a change in their lives, was the provision of specific information about how the change would affect the person making the change. If you coach yourself or others in making life changes, you need to be well-informed how the change will affect you and others. And you need to be able to provide this information in a nonjudgmental way.
A second process of change he felt helpful to individuals in both the pre-contemplation and contemplation stages of change, people beginning to think about making a change, is the opportunity to vent their feelings about having to change. Change is hard. Following a diet, exercising more and not smoking are difficult things to do. It is normal and healthy to recognize the feelings that you have about making these changes and to be willing to vent and discuss these with others. Complaining about making a change can be a good thing.
A third process you need to engage in if you're going to make a major change in your life is self-evaluation. In doing a self-evaluation, you need to look at how the change that you're contemplating will help you achieve other goals in your life. This again involves beginning to think, especially in the contemplation stage, about the pros and the cons of changing and beginning to weigh these; e.g., How will my life be better if I stop smoking? If I lose the weight that I'm wanting to lose, the overall effect on my health will most likely be positive. If I exercise on a regular basis, I may live longer, etc.
The fourth process of change Prochaska labeled environmental reevaluation. In this process the individual looks at how making the proposed change would make their community or their organization better and the negative impact that not making a change will have on them and their community. An example might be looking at the pros and the cons of doing a better job of recycling, rather than tossing everything in the garbage can. On the negative side, this involves having to sort out recyclables from non-recyclables and perhaps taking them to a collection center if your community doesn't pick up recyclables at the curb. But on the positive side, this may do a lot in the long run for the environment. Getting more actively involved in the politics of your community also has its pros and its cons. On the negative side, it may mean taking time off to attend meetings, read editorials or listen to politicians speak, which sometimes can be on the boring side, since many aren't known for being great orators. But on the positive side, you can have a major impact on making your community more of what you want it to be.
In the last process of change that we will review in this blog is as Prochaska labeled it, self-liberation. This process involves beginning to believe more strongly that you have the ability to make the change that you have been thinking about; e.g., to do the new diet. To follow a program of regular and moderate exercise. To not return to smoking. This involves doing things that help you develop more confidence in yourself, not by simply telling yourself that you should feel more confident, but by actually beginning to take baby steps in the change process. Trying them out and seeing how they feel. And seeing if you can follow through with them.
As we discussed in the previous blog, when the pros of changing clearly and honestly outweigh the cons for the individual and when the individual begins to believe that they can actually follow through with the change, they will make a decision to do it. They have reached the decision stage of the change process.
In the next blog we will review how you can support yourself and others, help others and yourself to think more positively, reward yourself for making a change, avoid negativity and look at the big picture.
