Doing more sports, quitting smoking or losing those extra kilos are some of the most frequent resolutions when the year begins but they are not always achieved. Many attribute it to a lack of will, however, psychologists, Carlo DiClemente and James O. ProchaskaThey affirm that it is because the person is not prepared to carry them out. His Stages of Change Model was developed as a framework to describe the five phases through which one progresses during health-related behavior change (Prochaska & DiClemente, 1983).
Psychologists studied people trying to quit unhealthy habits like smoking and discovered five stages that can be used to assess a person’s readiness to make changes.
His research, which has become central to the transtheoretical model of change, shows that trying to force someone to change their behavior before they are ready is unlikely to be effective.
five stages
These five stages can be used to assess a person’s readiness to create behavior change:
1. Precontemplation: This is the stage of denial. Facing family and friends who express concern will deny the problem. DiClemente outlines four possible reasons:
-Lack of awareness.
– The person refuses to accept advice or help.
-The person has lost hope of changing himself.
– The person convinces himself that his behavior is harmless.
Explaining the possible consequences of staying the same could help move a person to the next stage.
2. Contemplation: People in this stage begin to realize the possible negative effects of their actions and are willing to listen to the suggestions offered, but this does not mean that they are ready to change. They can see the damage that their behavior causes but they cannot decide to change their behavior. This is a stage of contradictions: the protagonist is confused and worried about his own situation, and the people around him are disappointed or even deceived by the person’s fickleness.
3. Preparation: People at this stage are fully aware of the need to change and have started to act, establishing a plan to create the change. In this process, you should avoid setting goals that are too high or even beyond reality.
4. Action: People begin to put their plans into practice. It is where his behavior change finally begins. For example, a person committed to losing weight will begin to exercise and change their eating habits during this stage.
Many people stay in the action period of three to six months to adapt all aspects of their lives to their new behavior patterns.
5. Maintenance: A minimum of 21 days is usually set to form a new habit, although different psychologists affirm that it is common to need more time to carry out the change, especially when our new changes involve other aspects of life. It is important to monitor your progress and plan ahead for potential problems and dangers that could cause you to revert to your old behavior patterns.
Keep in mind that “relapse” does not mean that previous efforts are in vain, better strategies may be needed to carry out the change.